It's hard not to get excited about A.J. Green. The Dawgs' top recruit has been turning heads ever since pre-season camp began.

I have seen Green in practice and I must say he is every bit as advertised. He's tall, fast and full of confidence. And now he has been moved up to number two on the depth chart at flanker behind senior Mohamed Massaquoi. This depth chart movement has come with very little action during camp. A hip flexor strain in the early going put him on the sidelines, and it was only this week that we was able to shred the green "no contact" jersey.

There is also quite a bond developing between Green and Massaquoi. At the first football media day in Athens back on August 4th, Mo Mass talked a great deal about Green. And it's very apparent that the senior has taken the freshman under his wing.

So here's my thought. See what you think. The media and much of the talk preseason is, rightfully so, about Knowshon Moreno. However, with Matthew Stafford in his third year at quarterback and a bevy of talented receivers, the passing game and the play-action stand to have a big year.

Stafford is the leader of this team. The reports out of pre-season camp have made that abundantly clear. And this season, to go with Massaquoi and Green he has three solid tight ends, plus Kenneth Harris and Kris Durham return from last season. Add Tony Wilson, Demiko Goodman and Michael Moore along with freshmen Tavarres King and Israel Troupe and the corps is talented and deep.

If you key your eyes on the running game this season, you just may miss the best action, and that should be Stafford and the passing game. It just may be one of the best in the nation.

If you are one of the many who want to jump off the Bridge at the Tate Center because of the injury to Trinton Sturdivant, then don't let me stand in your way.

But for the rest of us who take a more sane approach to UGA football, life is going to be just fine.

The injury to arguably the best sophomore offensive lineman in the SEC is, no doubt, a big blow to this team, but a close look at the roster will tell you that as far as the "o-line" is concerned, this team is plenty deep.

The tragic part of all of this is not the fact that his departure will leave a void at left tackle. It is that it happened to a truly fine young man who was, and probably still is, destined to be a top NFL draft pick once his Dawg Days are done.

Left tackles are a valuable breed. They are the ones employed (or in the case of a college player, enrolled) to watch the backside of a right handed quarterback. The book entitles The Blind Side by Michael Lewis chronicles how a good left tackle over the years has become quite the commodity in the NFL.

So we will watch the rehab and then development of Sturdivant over the next couple of years, and see where this journey takes him...and the Dawgs.

As far as the roster is concerned, there are sixteen interior offensive linemen listed. Redshirt sophomore Josh Davis is slated to be given first crack at filling the void left by Sturdivant, but there are plenty of talented guys who can move in, and I feel, do the job.

I am at that age (and maybe you are, too) where the games and seasons arrive in rapid fire succession. There is always another game, and there is always another player to step in. So it's time to as the old cliché goes: Take a Chill Pill. The Dawgs are going to be fine.

But come back to see me if any more linemen get hurt, and we may jump off that bridge together.

ATHENS--Coach Mark Richt was mad, and no one could blame him. It was the first media day in Athens prior to the first practice of 2008, and he wanted to talk about the team, but all he could talk about was the trouble.

He knew this going in. His opening statement mentioned the off-field problems and the distractions they have been causing the team. For the next 30 minutes he fielded questions about his team; 98 percent of which were about disclipline. You could see that this fine coach, who prides himself with not only teaching the game of football, but also helping young men succeed in live, was hurt and disappointed about the recent wave of problems.

Since the Monday press conference, though, the news has been encouraging for the Dawgs. The weather has been in usual August-like in Georgia, and the reports have been that the team is pushing hard and practicing well.

Sometimes adversity can pull a team together, and just maybe all the negative press that the media feeds on in today's society, will help the young men to a good season. The reports of top wide out recruit AJ Green are encouraging, even though he has suffered a mild hip flexor strain to hold him back. There has been good competition at offensive line, and at the number two running back spot. We all new Caleb King would be considered as the number two, but according to Chip Towers of the AJC, apparently true freshmen Richard Samuel and Dontavius Jackson are making a serious run at playing time as well.

The key word for any successful college football team is depth. If the players can continue to step up, this number one ranking may not have been too much as many are led to believe.

TURNER FIELD-Another made for TV trading deadline has come and gone in Major League Baseball, and one could say that the Braves made as much news for what they didn't do as what they did do.

Most of us expected to see reliever Will Ohman go elsewhere, but he is still on the roster. If the Braves fail to sign Ohman next season they would get a compensatory draft pick. A pick they would have lost had Ohman been traded. So keeping the solid lefthander was the right thing to do seeing that the return this year would not have been much.

The Braves were also in the hunt for Pittsburgh outfielder Jason Bay, but he earlier in the day went to the Red Sox in the same deal that sent Manny Ramirez to the Dodgers from Boston.

So what now? The trade of Teixeira puts up all the signs that the team has given up on this season. And if you look at what is left of the starting rotation, the possibilities of making a run seem remote.

However, call me an eternal optimist, or even call me clueless, but this is baseball and anything can happen. There is talent on this team, and if any of these guys (Chipper, Glavine, Diaz) can get off the DL, and if Brian McCann can come back, then the pace of winning games may quicken.

For those of you who don't know the big deals on Thursday at the deadline, here's what happened:

The Chicago White Sox pick up Ken Griffey, Junior from the Cincinnati Reds. In return, the Reds get pitcher Nick Masset and infielder Danny Richar.

The Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates work out a three way deal that give both Boston and LA new life and leaves Pittsburgh being Pittsburgh. Manny Ramirez heads to the Dodgers, Jason Bay goes to the Red Sox and Pittsburgh gets four minor leaguers including Andy LaRoche, brother of former Brave and current Pirate Adam.

The Marlins make a move to strengthen their bullpen by picking up reliever Arthur Rhodes from the Mariners for righthander Gabby Hernandez

TURNER FIELD--Times being what they are for the Atlanta Braves, the trade to send Mark Teixeira seems to be a pretty good one. Most will view the trade as the Braves "waiving the white flag," and that is probably so, but still Casey Kotchman will be with this team for a few years and the Braves couldn't be happier.

The lefthander is a solid player who in his fifth year in the majors is hitting at a 274 clip. He also has been regarded as one of the top prospects in the Angels system for the past few years.

But are the Braves done making deals? Will Ohman is being shopped around, that we know. But we have also heard Mark Kotsay, Kelly Johnson and Jeff Francoeur as possible Braves to hit the market. I would like to see the Braves keep Kotsay. When he is healthy, he is a solid centerfielder and a great lefthanded bat. Johnson is a good player, but the Braves have plenty waiting in the wings that could take over at second. That brings us to Francoeur. It's tough to watch Frenchy struggle at the plate the way he has this season. He looks so lost at time that it is affecting his play in the field as well. Sometimes, I think leaving this city would do him good. Let's face it, when he got the call-up in 2005 he was a sensation. And then two full years of 100 RBIs means he can play at this level. But those numbers, the fact he was a legend at Parkview High School, and the fact that he is a likeable kids with a great smile all addes up to tremedous pressure to perform in his hometown. And the fact the had to go to the minors to "find his swing" tells me there is no one in Atlanta that can help him out right now.

TURNER FIELD--The Braves have made the trade everyone expected here on Tuesday as they deal first baseman Mark Teixeira to the Los Angeles Angels for first baseman Casey Kotchman and minor league pitcher Steve Marek.

Kotchman is batting 287 for the Angels with 12 homers and 54 RBI's. Marek, a 24 year old righthander is currently pitching for the Angels AA team in Arkansas.

TURNER FIELD--Monday, July 28th may go down as the lowest point of the season for the Atlanta Braves. The day opened with the announcement that both Chipper Jones and Tim Hudson would go on the DL. A quick check with Jones before the game, and he seemed to think he was going to be able to comeback soon. But Hudson, we would find out later, would be a different story.

So the game begins with no Chipper, no McCann, former UGA catcher Clint Sammons behind the plate and Charlie Morton on the mound.

The Cardinals put up two runs in the second and four in the third. The four-run third was horrible to watch. The low-light...a double off the wall in center by Yadir Molina that, thanks to a throwing error by Yunel Escobar, enabled Molina to come all the away around to score. The Braves fans booed. The large contingent of Cardinal fans cheered. And we all wondered if things could get any worse.

They did.

A few innings later, Braves GM Frank Wren addressed the media. He told us that earlier in the day, Tim Hudson had an MRI on this right elbow. The MRI showed ligament damage. Wren mentioned that Hudson would see Dr. James Andrews later in the week.

I have been doing this long enough to know that when we hear the words "ligament damage" and "Dr. James Andrews" in the same sentence then it usually adds up to Tommy John Surgery.

Of course, that is not confirmed and is only speculation. But this is not good. Hudson probably will miss an extended period. If it is Tommy John, then we wont see him until next year at this time.

So, the list of Braves injuries is nothing less than incredible. John Smoltz: out for the year. Tom Glavine: still on the DL. Mike Hampton: Just off the DL, but not 100 percent. Chipper Jones: on the DL. Brian McCann; out with a mild concussion.

So this makeshift team tries to do it's best. The Cardinals have scored more than 10 runs and punched out---sorry---blasted out---more than 10 hits on the night. Things seemed to be falling apart for the team. But as they say there is a lot more baseball to be played.

Some times that is not a good thing.

No as far as the trade deadline is concerned. It's coming up Thursday and most feel Mark Teixeira will be gone. But what will the Braves do? Trade for some pitching help seems to be the logical way to go. But will that be for a young arm or two, or an established pitcher?

The next few days will be interesting for Braves fans and media members alike. Stay tuned.

Hoover, AL--Bobby Petrino has yet to arrive at our Radio/Internet location, but he did make a stop in the "TV 3" room to field questions. That was the room with members of the Atlanta TV media. This was the first chance many got to talk to him and ask him questions since he bolted from the Falcons. I must say in the face of some pretty tough questions, Petrino did not blink and answered as best he could. I am going to post this one at http://wsbradio.com/bulldogsradio/

It will be up in a few minutes, it is worth a listen.

Hoover, AL---As expected the media has voted the Florida Gators as the overall favorite to win the 2008 SEC Football Title. I don't know about you, but I love this. Remember 2004? That was the senior season for David Greene and David Pollack; the Dawgs were the overwhelming choice by the media to win it all, and ended up in the Outback Bowl. So, two things to consider here...1.) It's always better to be picked to finish high in the standings but not first and 2.) the media really doesn't know anything, and that's me included. The Gators did not get the unamious nod. They got 45 votes to win the East followed by the Dawgs with 23 votes. The Gators got 36 votes to win the SEC Title followed by the Dawgs with 18. In the West, Auburn is the choice to finish first with 48 votes, LSU second with 21 votes and Ole Miss got one vote. Ole Miss? Someone must really believe in Houston Nutt! Only a handful of interviews are left with Bobby Petrino waiting in the wings.

The Steve Spurrier and Rich Brooks are now available on line at http://wsbradio.com/bulldogsradio/