Back
The NFL is the most-watched pro sport in America and millions of passionate football fans dedicate their Sundays (and sometimes Monday and Thursday nights) to tune in to the weekly matchups.
Boardroom reported that in 2022, the NFL occupied 82 of the 100 most-watched TV shows. That same year, the NFL more than tripled the NBA on Christmas Day's viewership.
Astonishingly, the the Super Bowl boasts 30 of the 32 most-watched broadcasts in television history.
In America, football is king, and one fan was unwilling to let anything come between him and the weekly slate of games. Not even his wife.
Terry Ward, 64, was arrested for allegedly duct taping his wife to a chair and placing her in a basement so that he could enjoy NFL Sunday.
According to
Virginia Statewide Incidents on Facebook, police responded to a call at a residence on Oct. 11 in Richmond, Virginia over an alleged domestic violence incident.
When police questioned the wife, she stated that she was tied and taped to a chair and placed in a basement so that Ward could watch football without her. According to the report, she remained tied up for 30 to 45 minutes. She also had marks on her arms of where she was taped.
Ward confirmed her story to authorities, prompting his arrest.
Ward has been charged with felony abduction and misdemeanor assault on a family member.
He is set to appear in Richmond Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court on November 10.
Ward's extreme measures to watch football could lead to a lengthy jail sentence for the sports fanatic.
Under Virginia law, abduction is a Class 5 felony. Such a crime is usually inspires a one-year jail sentence. Plus a $2500 fine. If Ward is punished to the full extent of the law, he could serve ten years in prison.
It's unclear whether Ward will tune in this week, but the NFL on Sunday will host its first-ever regular season game in Paris.
Amid the ongoing riots, the NFL plans to proceed as planned with its New Orleans Saints and Pittsburgh Steelers matchup in Paris.
The Week 7 matchup will be held at Stade de France.
Back
Top
| Privacy Statement Terms of Service Contact |
Refresh
|
All the best breaking news stories from Apex Scores Lite. Optimised for feature phones and low end Android devices, Apex Scores Lite helps users with legacy devices and poor network connectivity access the latest football news and live scores. Particularly relevant for breaking football news in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.