March 4, 2021, marks the 27th anniversary of John Candy’s death. The Canadian actor was known for many films including Planes, Trains & Automobiles, Uncle Buck and Home Alone, to name a few, and many of his films are still a hit to this day.
John was also known for being an avid sports fan as he grew up playing sports and he showed it in a lot of his roles. The Newmarket, Ontario native dabbled in the world of hockey in Canadian Bacon and Power Play, baseball in Rookie of the Year and Brewster's Millions, and bobsledding at the Olympics in Cool Runnings.
Candy’s love for sports was evident outside of his roles and movies, as he was part of the Toronto Argonauts’ high-profile ownership group that included Wayne Gretzky and Bruce McNall.
Under their tenure, the Argos were not afraid to spend money on players in order to make the team a winner, including the signing of Raghib “Rocket” Ismail to an unheard of 4-year, $18.2 million contract. They also competed with the NFL when it came to signing highly regarded prospects.
The group co-owned the Argonauts from 1991 to 1993 and oversaw the team’s 1991 Grey Cup championship run.
John Candy passed away on March 4, 1994, due to an untimely heart attack while filming Wagons East. He was 43.
