"We all plugged in our phones at halftime, " the Ravens center Matt Birk said afterward.

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"You've got 53 very strong personalities on a football team, " said Matt Birk, the Baltimore Ravens veteran center.

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Circus director Robert Birk told the BBC he found some 300 fleas dead inside their transport box last week.

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Mr Birk said it had been a "very difficult moment" when he discovered that the tiny circus stars had died.

BBC: German flea circus hit by freeze

"We're not going to change what we do and they're not going to change what they do, " Baltimore center Matt Birk said.

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"I worked solidly for two days, " Mr Birk earlier told the Online Focus website, noting that the replacement team lacked a little pizzazz.

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Ms. Birk couldn't be reached for comment on Sunday.

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Ray Lewis and Matt Birk retired after helping the Ravens to a second Super Bowl title, high-salaried players were released by teams in a rush to get under the salary cap, and agents met with team executives trying work out new deals for their clients.

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