Well, it was a long, hard fight. But Tennessee conservation officials finally released more elk onto the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area last weekend.

You may remember that Tennessee tried to add more elk to its herd last year. But the project was scrapped when the state couldn’t get the necessary permits to bring the enormous creatures in from a captive facility in Canada. There were concerns about numerous diseases, including chronic wasting disease.

This year, they brought the elk in from the Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky. They released 18 adult males, eight adult females, four male calves, and four female calves.

They joined the existing herd of an estimated 250 elk that already call the Royal Blue WMA home.

A big crowd of onlookers was there for the snowy release - and I would have loved to have been there myself. But I just couldn’t justify a 12-hour round-trip drive for a release that took only a few minutes.

I hope the elk are doing well in their new surroundings.

Tigers win, 75-56. Up next: the winner of the Southern Mississippi-Central Florida game, starting shortly here at the Forum. Come back tomorrow and we’ll do this  blog thing again.

With 1:22 left, Coach John Calipari clears his bench: Pierre Niles and Chance McGrady are coming in. The Tigers have had a long history of a much-beloved walk-on who rarely plays, but ignites the crowd when he does walk onto the court.

My favorite was John Williams, who played with Elliott Perry on those ’80s teams. When Williams scored that last basket against South Carolina in the old Mid-South Coliseum, everyone screamed and jumped. Including Perry and John McLaughlin. One of my best Tiger memories ever.

Not full. That’s probably not unexpected, since this Tiger opener is the blowout it was expected to be (63-45 right now). But the upper deck is mostly empty, and the Tiger students aren’t here in force like they are for the games they can see for free. Still, it’s not a bad showing for the first game, especially one that started just after most folks got home from work.

Pat Riley is wearing a diamond-choked ring on his finger, which appears to be one of his humongous NBA championship rings. I hope he doesn’t walk down Main flashing that thing, or some nefarious soul is going to take an unexpected souvenir.

Pat Riley, erstwhile coach of the NBA’s Miami Heat, is sitting in the second row here at FedExForum.

Riley took a leave of absence from coaching the Heat because of some health problems as well as to do a little scouting. Since the Heat are one of the NBA’s worst teams and will therefore have a high pick in the next draft, one guess who he’s here scouting.

Hint: It’s not Chance McGrady.

Dexter Reed, who finished his Tiger career in 1977, is sitting a few seats down from Dajuan Wagner.

And he clearly likes what he sees of these Memphis Tigers.

“This is probably the best team ever.”

Better than the 1973 Tigers, who made it to the NCAA championship game?

“Best team ever,” Reed said, again. “They’re quicker, bigger. One through 12, they’re a lot deeper.”

High praise, indeed.

Reed also had some bad news: he talked to Larry Finch recently, and the Tiger great was back in the hospital with a foot problem. Finch has suffered the aftermath of a stroke for years. Best wishes to Coach Finch for a speedy return home.