Pride Of Detroit’s Fan Spotlight: Mathis “The Respected Madman” Allen

Detroit Lions fans are a special breed. It takes a special kind of commitment to go through the ups and downs of a Lions season and then continue to go through it all again year after year. It’s because of that commitment that it’s safe to say the Lions have the best and most loyal fans in the world. For the next month, we’re going to celebrate some of them here at Pride of Detroit.

Today’s fan is a face season-ticket holders should be familiar with. I’m talking about Mathis “The Respected Madman” Allen. I see this guy all the time. Every time I go to a Lions related event or cover a day at camp during the Lions open training camp days, Mathis is there. This man loves this team, Pokemon, this team, animation, this team and this team. Let’s get to know him a little better.

How did you become a Lions fan?

“I became a Lions fan in 2014. I grew up in Grand Rapids with my mom, who was not sports inclined at all, and my little brother, so I didn’t really watch sports until then. That year was my first year out of college, and I was working full-time. I saw we were pretty good and started following the team pretty lightly until after the Thanksgiving game. After that, I decided to buy a ticket to the Tampa game, which was my first NFL game. Then I went to the Vikings game, and have been a fan since.”

Who’s your favorite Lions player ever?

“My favorite Lion is Matthew Stafford because he has that competitive fire in him. That Bears game in 2015 solidified that for me.”

What’s your favorite Lions moment?

“Eagles 2016; The way we came back in that game, mainly with critical turnovers by Slay, was amazing. Especially with ending the Eagles 4-0 winning streak and ending our three-game losing streak.”

What are your thoughts and predictions for the 2019 season?

“I expect us to be better this year, especially with minimal injuries. Last year we lost three of our best offensive players and the TE group was garbage. This year the offense has more talent especially in the TE group, and the defense has improved with the addition of Trey Flowers and nickel CB/starter CB Coleman. I expect 9+ wins with these improvements and with Patricia seeming more focused.”