RENEE MONTAGNE, Host:
This is MORNING EDITION, from NPR News. I'm Renee Montagne.
STEVE INSKEEP, Host:
Pro football's regular season is over, so we know the full playoff picture. The playoffs begin Saturday when the Seattle Seahawks play the defending Super Bowl champion, New Orleans Saints. The Jets and Colts also play that first day.
MONTAGNE: It will be a quiet time for other teams. The Dallas Cowboys' cavernous stadium will host the Super Bowl, but after a losing season, the Cowboys will definitely not be on the field. The New York Giants also missed the playoffs, despite winning their final game.
INSKEEP: The Minnesota Vikings are also done. And in what has become something of a tradition, Brett Favre says he is retiring - again. This time, he says he really means it.
MONTAGNE: Favre's 20th season was marked by injuries. And there's the recent $50,000 fine the league levied against him for not cooperating with an investigation over tawdry text messages he allegedly sent.