At the Japan Open nearly two weeks ago, Patrick Chan was unmotivated and unsure, and not entirely committed to a pair of new programs. . It showed as the 21-year-old from Toronto fell four times in a performance he says was a "slap in the face." "Japan Open woke me up in a way and smacked me into what I need to do to do well during the season," Chan said a on a conference call Wednesday, a week before he travels to Windsor for the Skate Canada International competition. The two-time world champion spent the long flight home from Japan thinking about where competition went awry, and came the conclusion that his shaky competition may go down as the best thing that happened to him this season. "Its early in the season but my turning point of my season was Japan Open," Chan said. "I kind of woke up and came back and really wanted to work hard, was really motivated to do my programs and run my sections and get the jumps more consistent and just give myself more confidence." Good timing for his turnaround as Chan will open his ISU Grand Prix season in Windsor next week. Chan believes the lack of motivation is a normal process coming on the heels of winning back-to-back world titles. "I guess you become numb to the feeling of accomplishing something. Its hard to explain," he said. He said he was intimidated by the presence in Japan of Russian star Evgeni Plushenko and 2010 world champion Daisuke Takahashi, who both looked strong during practice. "I was a bit surprised by how ready they were at the competition, I think i got a bit intimidated, I didnt give myself the benefit of the doubt," Chan said. "I went into my turtle shell, kind of hid from everyone, and didnt really commit to the programs, so I think thats why I skated the way I skated, which wasnt great." The Japan Open was an invitational event featuring three teams of two men and two women from Japan, North America and Europe. Takahashi topped the mens event, while Chan, who also struggled on two other jumps, finished last. The Canadian admitted he wasnt feeling his new programs. Chan, who split with both coach Christy Krall and longtime choreographer Lori Nichol after the world championships last spring in Nice, France, has two new programs that he described as very different. The short program, to music by Rachmaninoff, was choreographed by former world champion Jeff Buttle, while David Wilson choreographed his long program, to Italian opera "La Boheme." "I loved my programs, I love the choreography that Jeff and David did for the short and long programs, but somehow I couldnt assimilate myself into the programs. I couldnt feel it," he said. "I didnt feel accomplished after I finished doing a run-through in practice. I dont know why. But it clicked after Japan Open." Chan believes the fact he can pause and regroup -- rather than panic -- after such a shaky start to the season shows hes grown up as an athlete. "Hopefully people see that. I find myself, I dont lose my temper as much on the ice, on practice, I really take time to think about what I need for myself to do well," Chan said. "Thats definitely something you have to experience, you have to go through the ups and downs, you cant just pick it up. . . someone cant teach you that. "Its a sign of maturity and being a veteran of figure skating, which is really cool," he added with a laugh. "I never thought Id be mature enough to be where I am." Chan will skate his short program next Thursday at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, followed by the long program on Saturday. Florent Amodio of France, who was fifth at last years world championships and Japans Nobunari Oda, six at the worlds, should be Chans stiffest competition. 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But just as he helped transform the Philadelphia Eagles into consistent winners, the new CEO of the Cleveland Browns has a plan to fix a franchise trapped inside a vortex of failure. . Elian Herrera singled in the go-ahead run with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the Dodgers to a 3-2 victory over the NL West champion San Francisco Giants on Monday night that kept their post-season hopes alive.(Sports Network) - Its been almost a month since Blue Jays starter Ricky Romero tasted victory, and he has a tough task ahead of him this afternoon to try to turn things around when he faces the New York Yankees. Romero is 0-4 with an 8.14 earned run average in his last four starts and last prevailed on June 22 at Miami. Romero turned in a quality start in Fridays 1-0 loss to Cleveland and gave up the lone run and six hits in six innings. He is 8-5 in 19 starts this season and managed to lower his earned run average to 5.03. The left-hander will face the Yankees for the first this season and is 3-3 with a 5.65 ERA in 10 starts against them. He also is 3-2 with a 4.95 ERA in seven starts at Yankee Stadium, spanning 43 2/3 innings. Romero went 1-2 in four starts against the Yankees last season. Toronto hopes to salvage the finale of this set in the Bronx before heading to Fenway Park for a three-game series with the Boston Red Sox. With slugger Jose Bautista on the disabled list with a wrist ailment, the Jays displayed no power last night. Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Lind finished with two hits apiece for Toronto, which lost for the sixth time in nine tries. Colby Rasmus provided the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning. Encarnacion has recorded a hit in 23 of his last 24 games on the road, dating back to May 13. Brett Cecil started for the Blue Jays and was dealt the loss for surrendering three runs and six hits in six innings. Sam Dyson allowed three more runs in relief. "It was a pretty solid outing," said Cecil. "I kept the ball down for the majority of the game." Toronto won two meetings with New York back in May, but has lost seven in a row at Yankee Stadium, getting outscored 42-20 in that time. The Blue Jays seven straight losses at Yankee Stadium marks their longest road losing streak against New York since dropping eight straight from June 23, 1995-June 4, 1996. The Yankees lead the majors with 145 home runs and target their eighth series sweep of the season (one short of 20111). [url=http://www.ramsofficialteamstore.com/autographed-jared-cook-jersey-zb-53.ht... Cook Jersey. They have scored six runs in each of the first two games of this series and are coming off Tuesdays 6-1 triumph behind the return of All-Star left-hander CC Sabathia. Sidelined with a strained groin, Sabathia was activated off the disabled list in time to toss six scoreless innings. He struck out six batters, walked one and allowed four hits for his 10th win of the season (10-3). "He looked like he (did) before he got hurt," Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter said of Sabathia. "He did exactly what weve come to expect." Five relievers held the Blue Jays to a run the rest of the way and closer Rafael Soriano nailed down his 24th save by getting the final two outs in the ninth inning. New York, which leads the AL East by 9 1/2 games ahead of Tampa Bay, has won eight of 10 games and has scored three or more runs in 41 straight games. The team record is 49 games from Sept. 7, 1950 through May 16, 1951. Cleveland did it in 48 games back in 1994. Andruw Jones hit a three-run homer and Robinson Cano went 1-for-4 with a run scored to extend his career-high hitting streak to 20 games. Cano has 13 runs, six homers, 20 RBI and 11 multi-hit games during the surge. The Yankees have homered 44 times in the past 23 contests and are 38-2 when holding opponents to three runs or less. The Yankees will start a seven-game road trip out west following todays game and will visit both Oakland and Seattle. Taking the mound for New York Wednesday will be Hiroki Kuroda. Kuroda has been shelled in each of his last two starts -- both no-decisions -- and has allowed a total of 11 earned runs. He took the hill in Fridays 6-5 win over the LA Angels of Anaheim and gave up five runs and eight hits in 7 1/3 innings. He is still 8-7 on the season with a 3.67 earned run average in 18 starts. Kuroda is 6-3 in 10 starts at Yankee Stadium in 2012 and lost his only appearance against the Blue Jays in an 8-1 loss on May 16 up north. The Japanese right-hander was reached for seven runs and eight hits in five innings. ' ' '