PLAYER #91 - JOHN CANDY (1991-94)

There are more things that go into a successful football team than good players and winning coaches. It takes a competent support staff, from top to bottom, to make a franchise click, and this week on Ancient Mariners, we will honour some of the behind- the-scenes "players" who have made contributions to the team.

Fittingly, we'll start at the top, with one of the most recognizable and influential people ever to get involved in the CFL: Hollywood star and proud Canadian John Candy.

When Bruce McNall, Wayne Gretzky and John Candy purchased the Argos in 1991 from Harry Ornest, it was a highly-publicized event. When the trio signed U.S. star Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, it turned the franchise into front-page news across North America, and set the stage for the league's future expansion plans.

While McNall saw the Argos as a potential investment opportunity, it was Candy who took the team to heart. Growing up in Scarborough, where he attended Neil McNeil high school and played on their football team, Candy was an unabashed Argo fan. While working his way through the SCTV years, and then finding his way to Hollywood, Candy kept tabs on the fortunes of his favourite boyhood team. And when the chance came to be a part- owner of the Double Blue, he jumped at it.

"Being a Toronto native, my family and I have been followers of this prestigious team through the good times and bad," said Candy in the 1991 team media guide. "I look forward to the '90's and an Argonaut dynasty."

While he didn't get a dynasty, Candy did get one Cinderella season, as the team won the Grey Cup in his first year of ownership. During that campaign, Candy was a tireless worker on behalf of the Argos and the CFL.

"It was a thrill for all of us to even get to meet John Candy, let alone find out he had the same passion for Canadian football," said David Watkins, the Argos director of communications. "He also made a point of getting to know everyone personally, not as employees, but as people."

Watkins recalled that during a game in Vancouver in 1991, Candy rented a boat for a cruise in English Bay, and only the front office and support staff, such as administrative personnel and equipment managers, were invited. "It was the thrill of a lifetime for me," said Watkins.

After that dream-like first season, things went downhill for the Argos, both on and off the field. McNall's financial troubles were coming to light, and there was a group looking to buy the team from him, of which Candy was a part of. But then, in April of 1994, tragedy struck, and it shook the Argo community like nothing else before. Candy died of a heart attack while on a movie set, leaving his many friends and fans stunned.

"It was a shock because he was a ranking team executive, but I also felt deep sadness in the loss of a close friend," said Watkins, words that were echoed by almost all who knew him. Candy's funeral at St. Michael's Cathedral was broadcast live on TV, and the team honoured him in their 1994 season opener.

Long live, John Candy!