Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2013 July 6

= July 6 =

Detective show cowboy
What is the name of the detective show that features the main character who is a cowboy?--Donmust90 (talk) 00:46, 6 July 2013 (UTC)Donmust90
 * McCloud (TV series)? A bit more detail about what you're looking for wouldn't hurt. When? Where? --Onorem (talk) 00:58, 6 July 2013 (UTC)
 * [Nitpick alert]. McCloud wasn't really a cowboy. He just looked that way to them thar (New York) city slickers. Clarityfiend (talk) 01:27, 6 July 2013 (UTC)
 * (ec) Longmire maybe. Otherwise can you give more clues, please?  What country is it aired in?  Are you thinking of a current show or a past one?  What is the setting, what channel is it on, etc.  RudolfRed (talk) 01:00, 6 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Either Justified or The Wild, Wild West--the first a marshall, the second a Secret Service man. μηδείς (talk) 01:34, 6 July 2013 (UTC)


 * I suspect you're thinking of Vegas (TV series). - Cucumber Mike (talk) 07:29, 6 July 2013 (UTC)

Physical characteristics of professional American football players
Could you please tell me something about the typical physical build of successful players of American football in the professional level? I'd like to know both in general, and about players in specific positions (eg. quarterbacks). For example, are players usually tall or short (compared to the average person of the same age and gender and country), skinny or fat? Do they run fast, have strong legs, hands, upper bodies, have constitution to run continuously for a long time without much pauses, etc? A short description would be enough, that is, tell me what are the most important characteristics that are acquired during general training or are used for selecting young players.

If there are existing articles or sections in this Wikipedia answering my question, please link to them. &#x2013; b_jonas 12:58, 6 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I don't follow the sport, so I can't say specifically about body types, but I do know that it depends very much on what position they play. Some players need to be smaller and nimble, and others can benefit from being rather large. Mingmingla (talk) 15:27, 6 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Here's a table of tests (and standards for each position) run by the NFL Scouting Combine, from which you can infer what teams want (though the Combine article states that some of the tests aren't particularly good predictors). For example, the "speed over distance" 40-yd dash shows that this is considered very important for running backs, wide receivers, cornerbacks and safeties. Upper body strength is important for guards/centers and defensive tackles, and so on. There are other things not listed there that I know of. They like quarterbacks to be tall (and in the past, white), so they can see the situation better, though Russell Wilson has demonstrated that that's not a serious impediment. It's instructive to note, however, that he was drafted low at least in part because of concerns about his height. Clarityfiend (talk) 23:24, 6 July 2013 (UTC)


 * The simplest way to think about it is the closer to the center and front you are, generally the bigger and stronger you need to be, while players to the back and outside are generally faster and nimbler. The offensive and defensive lines are generally populated by 300+ pound behemoths, though there have been a few exceptions, such players are always described as "undersized" (see Jason Taylor, who was quite small for a lineman at 244 pounds).  The typical lineman is someone like Nate Solder, at 320 pounds.  Next in size are usually linebackers (defense) and fullbacks/tight ends (offense) who usually run in the 250-280 pound range.  As noted, quarterbacks/wide receivers are usually expected to be tall and thin, usually well over 6 feet tall (former QB Doug Flutie and current WR Wes Welker break that mold, though both modified their playing style from the typical position to make up for the height problem.  Welker plays WR more like a small tight end, relying on quick in-routes to get position on taller DBs) and Flutie became adept at rolling out and/or jumping while throwing to get better passing lanes).  Running backs tend to be smaller and thicker (a low center of gravity makes them harder to bring down).  And the fastest players on the team are usually the defensive backs.  Darrell Green was considered the fastest player in the NFL, even into his late 30s.  Kickers and punters tend to be smaller, though there are exceptions (Hall of Fame kicker Lou Groza topped the scales at 250 pounds, and Sebastian Janikowski is rather thick as well).  -- Jayron  32  00:54, 7 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Sometimes a visula comparison helps. There was a recent study on traits correlated with broad faces in men. μηδείς (talk) 03:14, 8 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Thank you for the answers. I might try to add one or two sentence to the articles, but I'd be more happy if someone with more knowledge about the topic did it first.  &#x2013; b_jonas 11:36, 10 July 2013 (UTC)


 * Here is a scatter-chart of heights and weights of current players, color-coded by position. —Tamfang (talk) 02:25, 12 December 2013 (UTC)
 * That looks nice and informative, thank you! &#x2013; b_jonas 12:58, 12 December 2013 (UTC)

Player involved in the Messi All-Stars vs. World All-Stars match tonight?
I tried to find a full list., but I couldn't. Does anyone know the players involved? And perhaps the starting line-ups for each side? I've only heard that Thierry Henry will be there, and some others, and that there will be about 35 players involved. Thanks very much! Nicholasprado (talk) 17:16, 6 July 2013 (UTC)
 * I found this site which gives a full team list, but on other sites they claim the match may not go ahead. --TammyMoet (talk) 17:47, 6 July 2013 (UTC)

Should the Xena article have added information on who inspired the Xena character
I remember reading in Xena article three or four years on Wikipedia that the TV character inspired by roman or Spanish princess but this info was deleted. Who did I read about? Maybe it was the "real" Spartan queen Arachidamia who i read about in Xena Article. Why did Wikipedia delete this info? Venustar84 (talk) 23:42, 6 July 2013 (UTC)


 * I see that back in 2010 there was a trivia section with unsourced speculations about her inspirations, which were quite properly removed:
 * "one possible influence of Xena is Mamiya, a woman who leads a village and joins Kenshiro and Rei in the fight against Raoh, from Fist of the North Star.


 * according to the producers and writers, in the beginning Xena was also an inspiration from the Hong Kong film Bride with White Hair" Clarityfiend (talk) 23:50, 6 July 2013 (UTC)