NEW YORK, N.Y. - The presentation on domestic violence given to NFL owners on Wednesday included a video by a former player appealing for recognition and action.Joe Ehrmann, a defensive tackle for 10 pro seasons (1973-82), beseeches viewers to imagine what it would be like to see a loved one being subjected to abuse. He then urges intervention to curb such behaviour.Think about the role you have to raise up a generation of men that are going to have the clarity, have the moral courage to call out other men, Ehrmann says.The video is part of a 40-minute presentation put together by the league with the help of a group of outside advisers. The goal is to educate everyone in the NFL about the dangers of spousal abuse, child abuse, sexual assault and other domestic violence topics.It was very thorough, it was good, Steelers President Art Rooney said.Deana Garner, the leagues director of player engagement and education, said the educational program being implemented will examine workplace policy, disciplinary considerations and increasing understanding of the prevalence in society of these issues and how it impacts the NFL.So many people dont understand how complicated domestic violence is, Garner said. This is a unique crime committed across all demographics.Garner was encouraged by the reaction and input the presentation received from the owners.They were very engaged, she said. They recognized the importance of this initial education program and that it will set a standard.In a memo to owners this week, Commissioner Roger Goodell outlined how the NFL will re-examine its personal conduct policy. These are the first league meetings since Goodell admitted he was wrong in giving Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice only a two-game suspension for punching his then-fiancee in an elevator. Following a torrent of criticism, Goodell announced stiffer penalties for future domestic violence cases. After video of the punch was released, the Ravens cut Rice and Goodell suspended him indefinitely. Rice has since appealed the suspension.Other abuse cases involving Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson, Cardinals running back Jonathan Dwyer and Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy also have been made public. All three are on an exempt list, suspended but still being paid.The goal of the NFL educational program of which the video is a part is to create a better understanding of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. It will concentrate on explaining the impact on victims, families and perpetrators; how to avoid becoming a perpetrator or a silent bystander; and how to intervene.Garner said the program will be implemented immediately, with visits to several teams in October and to every team by the end of the season. Owners, team executives, coaches, players and league personnel also will receive instruction.The owners were particularly eager to have the educational sessions scheduled for their teams, Garner added.Men play a critical role in reducing domestic violence by being active in interventions, Garner said. Step in. Speak out. Have thoughtful conversations.Thats exactly what is stressed in the video by Ehrmann, who runs an organization called Coach For America, and has been one of the speakers who visits NFL teams during what the league calls professional development sessions.Lisa Friel, vice-president of the Sexual Misconduct Consulting & Investigations division for T&M Protection Resources, is one of the advisers helping the NFL develop and carry out the educational program. She expected laser-focused attention from the owners on Wednesday a€” and she saw just that.It is important with this kind of education to start at the top and have it filter down, Friel said. From the owner to the guy in the locker room who washes uniforms.She also anticipates long-term benefits beyond team and league organizations.A lot of NFL athletes have been leaders throughout their lives, he said. We can tap into that leadership role ... and it can help empower others.Rita Smith, another adviser to the league on domestic violence, has had conversations with the NFL since 1998 about such educational programs. She noted that many owners asked about how to make sure everyone in our clubs organization has access to educational courses.Their capacity to influence the dialogue being said inside football a€” at the youth and high school, college and professional level a€” is pretty huge, said Smith, the former executive director of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Theres also the trickle down to the fans, family members and the sponsors. Its hard to measure the impact this could have.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Adam Ottavino Yankees Jersey . The appointment of Boullier continues the behind-the-scenes restructuring at McLaren, who recently brought back former team principal Ron Dennis as its new chief executive. 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But the left winger, who has 17 goals and 37 points this season, was limited to about 10 minutes of ice time in each of the previous games.NEW YORK -- The Brooklyn Nets are so good at home now that even the Houston Rockets cant beat them. The Nets clinched a playoff berth by beating the Rockets at home for the first time in 11 years, getting 32 points from Joe Johnson in a 105-96 victory on Tuesday night. Shaun Livingston added 17 points for the Nets, who extended their home winning streak to 14 games, longest in their NBA history and tops in the league this season. They finished 18-12 overall against the Western Conference. "Weve just been playing and trying to protect home court. They came in here and we try to send them on their way with a loss, and thats for everybody," Livingston said. "It just happens to be weve been playing good basketball against the West." The Nets ended a 14-game skid against Houston with their first victory in the series since March 13, 2006. The Nets hadnt defeated the Rockets at home since March 31, 2003, when they were still playing in East Rutherford, N.J. The Nets also pulled within 1 1/2 games of Toronto and Chicago for the No. 3 seed in the East and home-court advantage in the first round, quite a change for a team that was so bad during its 10-21 start that Johnson had trouble envisioning where it is right now. "Honestly, I couldnt even see it," he said. "I kept saying to myself eventually this is going to turn around, things are going to turn for us. Eventually it did starting the new year. We were a different team, our mindset was different and the way we played was different." James Harden scored 26 points for Houston, which lost its second straight following a five-game winning streak. Still without Dwight Howard because of a sore left ankle, the Rockets shot just 38 per cent from the field. "We just missed some shots, missed some opportunities," Harden said of the Rockets, also without starters Patrick Beverley and Terrence Jones. "We let them get too comfortable early in the game. They got it going and it was tough." Harden was 16 of 16 from the free-throw line. Omer Asik had 12 points and a career-high 23 rebounds while starting for Howard, while Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parsoons each added 16 points.dddddddddddd The Nets held the NBAs second-highest scoring team 11 points below its average and improved to 30-12 overall since Jan. 1. They havent lost at Barclays Center in more than two months and make just a short trip Wednesday to visit the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. "We know these games, even if you say they dont mean more, they mean a lot more, I think, just because of the rivalry thats been formed," Nets guard Deron Williams said. Brooklyn had six players score in double figures in its third win in a row overall. It was once again without starting centre Kevin Garnett because of back spasms, as it was all March while going 12-4, as well as key reserves Andrei Kirilenko (sprained left ankle) and Marcus Thornton (back). The Nets shot 59 per cent in the first quarter, getting 11 points from Johnson in taking a 29-24 lead. Houston moved ahead for the first time midway through the second, but Brooklyn put together an 11-0 spurt late in the half and took a 54-51 edge into the break. The Nets opened their largest lead when Johnsons 3-pointer made it 78-67 with 4:03 left in the third, but the Rockets were back within one before Johnson nailed another 3 with 45 seconds remaining to send Brooklyn to the fourth with an 83-79 advantage. Brooklyn put it away midway through the fourth, re-opening an 11-point lead on a questionable goaltending call that gave a basket to rookie Jorge Gutierrez and earned Rockets coach Kevin McHale a technical foul for arguing. McHale was more frustrated with Houstons lack of ball movement. "I dont know how (long) you have to play with somebody to throw the ball to the open man," he said. "What, youve got to know him personally?" NOTES: McHale said Howard had received another shot in the ankle, saying there was mostly soft tissue inflammation that hopefully would calm down. The All-Star centre has missed five of the last seven games. ... Brooklyns Jason Kidd was the Eastern Conference coach of the month for March, joining Chicagos Tom Thibodeau as the only coaches to win two monthly awards in their rookie seasons. Kidd won for the first time for January. ' ' '