while quickly developing into a defensive presence a

Less than 24 hours after the close of the Rio Olympics, Ryan Lochte took a major financial hit Monday for a drunken incident he initially tried to pass off as an armed robbery.In quick succession, four sponsors announced they were dumping the swimmer, who has since apologized and conceded that he embellished what happened during a now-infamous stop at a Rio gas station.Swimsuit company Speedo USA, clothing giant Ralph Lauren and skin-care firm Syneron-Candela issued statements less than three hours apart, all with the same message: Lochte is out. Before the day was done, Japanese mattress maker airweave followed suit, essentially wiping out Lochtes income away from the pool.In addition, Speedo USA said $50,000 that wouldve gone to the 12-time Olympic medalist was being donated to Save The Children to benefit needy youngsters in Brazil.While we have enjoyed a winning relationship with Ryan for over a decade and he has been an important member of the Speedo team, we cannot condone behavior that is counter to the values this brand has long stood for, the prominent swimsuit company said. We appreciate his many achievements and hope he moves forward and learns from this experience.Ralph Lauren, which provided the Polo-branded attire worn by the U.S. team at the opening and closing ceremonies, said it would not be renewing the contract that provided Lochte with financial support leading up to Rio. The statement from airweave said it had a similar arrangement with the swimmer. Both stressed they would continue their support of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic teams.Syneron-Candela offers a line of skin-treatment products that deal with issues such as wrinkle reduction.We hold our employees to high standards, and we expect the same of our business partners, the company said.Lochte issued a statement through his public relations firm thanking Speedo USA for its long support. He did not immediately address the other companies dropping their endorsements.I respect Speedos decision and am grateful for the opportunities that our partnership has afforded me over the years, Lochte said.Initially, Lochte said he and three teammates -- Jack Conger, Gunnar Bentz and Jimmy Feigen -- were robbed after their taxi was pulled over by armed men posing as police just hours after the swimming competition ended in Rio de Janeiro.That version quickly unraveled when police said the swimmers, who had attended a late-night party, never reported the incident to authorities and there was scant evidence of a robbery. Video surveillance emerged showing the athletes getting into a confrontation with armed security guards over alleged vandalism at the gas station when their taxi pulled over to let them use the restroom.While there have been conflicting versions over whether the guards pulled their weapons on the swimmers, Lochte has since acknowledged he was highly intoxicated and that his behavior led to the confrontation, which resulted in the swimmers paying some $50 in U.S. and Brazilian currency before they were allowed to leave. The incident caused a furor in Rio, where street crime was a major issue heading into the games.Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon, said he wasnt surprised by the decision since most of Lochtes marketing value was tied to campaigns prior to the Olympics.I would think it was an easy decision to cut ties now, Swangard said. For someone like Lochte, hes really destroyed almost all of his short-term marketability. Brands can easily seek out other athletes for the next Olympic cycle.The financial costs of losing Speedo and Ralph Lauren are likely to be only the first sanctions that await Lochte, whose antics tarnished a powerful showing by the American team and dominating news away from the stadiums and arenas in the final days of the Rio Games.Both the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Swimming have indicated that Lochte will be punished, perhaps endangering the 32-year-olds hopes of competing in a fifth Olympics at Tokyo in 2020. He could also face criminal charges in Brazil, where the other swimmers were initially barred from leaving the country until they were interviewed by authorities.Feigen wound up donating just under $11,000 to a Brazilian nonprofit sports organization to settle any potential legal action. Bentz issued a statement saying Lochte tore a sign off a wall at the gas station and got into a heated exchange with the security officers, though Bentz denied the swimmers did any damage to a locked bathroom as authorities alleged.In the last of three interviews with NBC that included ever-changing accounts of the incident, Lochte apologized and acknowledged he over-exaggerated the story. He made a similar mea culpa to Brazils main broadcaster, Globo.Long one of the most popular U.S. athletes, the laid-back swimmer is known for his trademark saying Jeah! and such antics as wearing diamond grillz on the medal stand and dying his hair a silvery color before the Rio Games. Lochte also starred in a short-lived reality television show after the 2012 Olympics.For these games, he qualified in only one individual event, finishing fifth in the 200-meter individual medley, far behind longtime rival Michael Phelps. Lochte did help Phelps and the Americans win gold in the 4x200 freestyle relay.---AP business writers Mae Anderson and Candice Choi in New York and editor Amy Finkelstein in Chicago contributed to this report.---Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 . His work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/paul-newberry . Fake Yeezy 451 . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. Fake Yeezy Powerphase . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. http://www.fakeyeezysforsale.com/fake-yeezy-boost-350-v3/ . Sulaiman, 44, was chosen unanimously Tuesday in a vote by the leadership, the World Boxing Council said. Sulaiman becomes the sixth president of the organization. Fake Yeezy 500 . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Fake Yeezy Boost 700 . Bjorn, who had a 36-hole total of 8-under 134, made a testing six-foot putt to save par on the 16th and a birdie on the 17th before bogeying the final hole after a misjudged approach shot. American Kevin Streelman was in second place after shooting a 69. PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt politely shooed away reporters on Monday when they approached his locker, saying he needed to go get an MRI on his achy right knee. Tuitt then walked away without any sort of noticeable limp.He wasnt just playing tough for the cameras.Coach Mike Tomlin indicated theres a chance Tuitt could play when Baltimore visits Heinz Field next weekend after the exam revealed Tuitt only sprained his knee when his right leg twisted underneath him three plays into Pittsburghs 24-20 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday.We will watch him participate over the course of the week and see what that participation looks like, Tomlin said Tuesday. Obviously the position that he plays gives him an opportunity, probably it would be less likely so if he was a wide receiver or cornerback.Tuitt was closing in on Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton when he reached out with his left hand and snagged Daltons facemask. He let go almost immediately while at the same time pirouetting awkwardly on the Paul Brown Stadium turf. He managed to walk off without any help, though he spent the rest of the afternoon in a jacket on the sideline at the Steelers (9-5) rallied for a fifth straight victory to set up what amounts to an AFC North title game against Baltimore (8-6) on Sunday.Theres little doubt Pittsburgh is better when Tuitt is on the field, particularly with Cam Heyward already out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Yet what was left of the line -- Javon Hargrave, Daniel McCullers, L.T. Walton and Ricardo Mathews -- eventually found their footing. The Bengals ran it seven times for just eight yards over the final 30 minutes as the Steelers steadily recovered from an early 14-point deficit.We knew we had to play big in the second half, Hargrave said. We let them start quick, so we knew we had to respond and grind it out.Pittsburgh will need to rely on that grit if it wants to end a four-game losing streak to the Ravens and clinch its second division title in thrree years.dddddddddddd The Ravens won the first meeting 21-14 on Nov. 6 despite being limited to just 50 yards on the ground. Theyve improved steadily in recent weeks and put together a season-high 151 yards rushing in a 27-26 escape against Philadelphia last weekend while splitting carries between Terrance West and Kenneth Dixon.Part of the credit goes to an offensive line thats found some stability. The rest to Wests ability to find a hole and go. Yet Pittsburghs defense has steadily improved during its surge into first place. The Steelers are allowing just 64.6 yards rushing per game during their current winning streak, way down from the 102.6 yards per game they gave up through the seasons first nine weeks.Its a stretch thats also coincided with the rapid development of rookie safety Sean Davis, who hasnt missed a snap over the last five weeks while quickly developing into a defensive presence at the line of scrimmage and acclimating to the 16-week slog of the regular season.I had a funny interaction with (Davis) a week ago-he came to my offices and asked, `How do you prepare for somebody the second time in a season? Tomlin said. Because he had never played someone twice in a season before. And thats just whats going on, not only with him, but with all of these young people.Young people who have been a critical part of Pittsburghs charge to the cusp of a third consecutive playoff berth, something the Steelers have never done during Tomlins 10-year tenure.Game notes RB DeAngelo Williams could play for the first time since undergoing knee surgery last month. Tomlin said he made Williams inactive against the Bengals when Williams developed swelling in the knee once the team arrived in Cincinnati. ... TE Ladarius Green remains in the concussion protocol and his status is uncertain.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '