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Step 1
Make it a habit to frequently visit your favorite team's official website. While the "reporting" you find on the teams website might not exactly be unbiased, most teams are now offering great content like streaming video of press conferences, interviews, and other features. Some teams even have live web casts and call-in shows. This is a great way to get insider access to the team.
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Step 2
Search for local sports talk radio stations online. Many stations have weekly talk shows with coaches and star players. Even if they don't have weekly shows you'll still be able to listen to local fans and hosts just as if you'll there in the same city and feel the energy of the fan base.
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Step 3
If you are out the viewing area you can still catch the games on DirectTV. However, if you can't get DirectTV you still have options.
For residents outside of North America, You can subscribe to NFL GamePass and watch live streaming video of the games over the Internet just as if you were watching on TV. The current price for the season is $239 (U.S.), but the price is typically discounted at some point during the season.
http://gamepass.nfl.com
If you live in North America, you can't see the games live via the Internet, but there are some decent alternatives.
NFL Field Pass gives you live and archived radio feeds from every team for every game. This is a nice option for those that like to listen to the local radio broadcast crew even when the game is available in your area. Full season is currently $29.99, but discounts are available during the season and in conjunction with other offers.
http://fieldpass.nfl.com
NFL Game Rewind gives you commercial free archived footage of all NFL games all season. You can't watch the games live, but you still get to watch the games just as you would if you recorded them on your DVR. Games are typically available the following day. If you have the hardware and bandwidth you can even watch the games in HD. Current cost for the entire season is $59.99, but is typically discounted during pre-season and at some point during the season. The service can also be purchased on a week to week basis.
www.nfl.com/gamerewind -
Step 4
Bloggers. These are hard core fans who write about the team in their own forum. Often teams of bloggers will unite and form one site to cover the team. They don't have the same access as traditional media, but there are a lot of good bloggers out there that don't miss a trick even if the traditional media drops the ball. Do a search for your favorite team's bloggers and you'll be able to sort through which ones you like best and offer the best coverage.
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Step 5
Newspaper Online. Bookmark the team pages from the local and regional newspapers. Many now have blogs that are updated throughout the day.
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Step 6
Twitter has changed the way we get updates. Check out the local newspapers for the beat writers that use Twitter. Get instant updates on injuries, roster changes, and more from those that get paid to follow your favorite team. Free application like TweetDeck will allow you to be updated instantly when a new "tweet" arrives.
Some NFL players, like Cincinnati's Chad Ochocinco, have there own Twitter accounts and update them frequently. Some will even interact with fans and answer questions.
