Further Antedating of Sports "Fan"

[Shapiro, Fred]

fan (sports sense) (OED 1889)

1885 _Kansas City Times_ 10 May 4 (America's Historical Newspapers)  I am more or less of a base ball fan myself, and this reminds me that the man who is not thoroughly up in base ball slang nowadays is looked upon with pity.

Fred Shapiro

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org