Are the Pats for sale?

It is a rite of spring in Regina once the Pats’ season has come to an end. And, no, it hasn’t anything to do with speculation on how much profit the Saskatchewan Roughriders’ made or how much over the CFL salary cap the green guys were. (By the way, didn’t someone once say cheaters never prosper? And didn’t someone else say you ain’t tryin’ if you ain’t cheatin’?) But we digress.
In Regina at this time of year there always is chatter about how this is the offseason in which the Parker family is going to unload the Pats and then fly off to an island in the South Pacific and count their profits.
Nothing changed this time around, either.
Brent Parker, the Pats’ general manager, loves nothing better than to meet the press, which he did last week. Here, courtesy of Rod Pedersen’s blog, is what transpired after Glenn Reid of the CBC asked the $7 million question.
REID: There's a rumour the Pats are for sale. Can you substantiate it?
PARKER: I knew you had to ask . . . it is April. You know that’s the standard question. I’m surprised it took you guys this long. It’s a rite of spring in Regina. The robins return. The geese crap on the golf courses. And we get asked if the team’s for sale. Nothing’s changed. We’re still operating the franchise and have full intentions in doing so. We’ve got some struggles ahead in terms of our lease negotiations but we’re hopeful that we’re going to get those resolved and get into a long-term lease because that’s really what we want. We’re prepared to make that long-term commitment to the building and to the city and that’s what we’re trying to do.
REID: Everything's for sale at the right price, isn't it?
PARKER: Well, I think everything is for sale but we haven’t taken any offers nor are we actively pursuing anything. The rumour got riled up again here a few weekends ago when I had a beer with Mike Sillinger and Jamie Heward . . . and all of a sudden the rumours took off again. It’s always going to be there . . . I don’t know why . . . but it always will be. When we first got here people said it would be a quick fix and we’d be in and out, gone in three years, turn a profit and go. Thirteen years later, we’re still here. At some point the rumour has to go away, but maybe it won’t.
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At this point, someone from Global TV asked: Has this come about because the worth of WHL franchises has skyrocketed?
PARKER: We’ll never say we’re not selling. We’re not pursuing it at this point in time but we’d be foolish if somebody came and opened the vault and said here’s an astronomical amount of money that’s never been paid for a junior team before. Of course, you’d listen.
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It is left for you to decide whether Parker answered the original question. . . . Or you can wait a year until he attempts to answer it . . . for the 14th time.