Brown out

Two days after he was their starting quarterback on opening day, Charlie Frye was traded by the Cleveland Browns to the Seattle Seahawks for a sixth-round pick. This should be the new standard for judging how bad your team is. If a guy comes out of training camp as your starting QB, then gets traded for a sixth-round pick two days after the opener, you’re a threat to go 0-16.

Somethin’s Bruin

In a move clearly executed to keep up with the off-season buzz surrounding the Celtics’ acquisitions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Boston Bruins on Tuesday acquired center-right wing Petteri Nokelainen from the New York Islanders for center Ben Walter and a second-round pick in 2009. Selected 16th overall in the 2004 draft, Nokelainen played for Bridgeport in the American Hockey League last season, registering six goals and 10 assists.He appeared in 15 games for the Islanders in 2005-06, collecting one tally and one assist.

Harassing defense

The trial in the $10 million sexual harassment lawsuit against Isiah Thomas began Tuesday, with the lawyer for the former Knicks’ executive who filed the lawsuit telling the jury the woman was a rising star forced to fend off the NBA great’s clumsy advances. But defense attorney Kathleen Bogas described Anucha Browne Sanders as a liar who made up charges against Thomas to mask her incompetence. For some reason, Thomas and his high-priced team of lawyers are calling this the “Bill Laimbeer defense.”

How about “Bird Men of Alcatraz?”

Indiana Pacers forward Shawne Williams was arrested Tuesday on charges of marijuana possession and driving without a license after an officer pulled over a sport utility vehicle for making an illegal lane change. The Pacers are overtaking the Portland Trail Blazers as the NBA’s most disfunctional franchise. The Blazers even got a nickname out of it – the Jail Blazers. What can we call the Pacers?

The ol’ joints aint what they used to be

Trail Blazers center Greg Oden, the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, will undergo exploratory arthroscopic surgery this week because of pain in his right knee. An MRI taken last week showed Oden may have some cartilage problems, according to general manager Kevin Pritchard. What Portland management is trying to keep hush-hush is he also has osteoporosis and needs a hip replacement.

Redskins eyeing Caldwell

Former Patriots wide receiver Reche Caldwell signed with the Washington Redskins on Tuesday, a week after the New York Jets brought him in for a visit to pick his brain, which led to their brilliant coverage schemes against Randy Moss.