After Seattle Sounders FC made history by becoming the first MLS team to ever win the modern incarnation of Concacaf Champions League and stamp their ticket to the FIFA Club World Cup, the scene in the home locker room at Lumen Field was a predictably raucous one.
At the center of it all was veteran utility man and Seattle-native Kelyn Rowe, who did his postgame interviews in an eye-catching checkered green, faux-fur coat that quickly made waves online. Rowe joined hosts Susannah Collins and Jillian Sakovits on the latest episode of MLSSoccer.com's The Call Up, explaining the genesis behind how the coat became a Seattle sensation.
As it turns out, Rowe explained, he got the item from Sounders part-owner and Seattle-based rapper Macklemore, who owns the clothing brand Bogey Boys that produced the jacket.
"So, I thought, you know: Big game, big moment, might as well make the most of it. If we lose, I look like an idiot, but if we win, I look like a hero," Rowe said. "Luckily we won."
Rowe hadn't originally planned to don the jacket for the postgame celebrations but did so at the urging of goalkeeper Stefan Frei, which led to a memorable scene during Rowe's postgame interviews. Since then, the jacket has become something of a symbol for Seattle's historic victory, with some fans purchasing their own and even putting it on to pose for photos with the CCL trophy.
"I got in the locker room and put it on for the champagne showers and Stefan Frei goes 'Take your shirt off now, you're wearing just the jacket' and I was like, 'Nice, great call,'" Rowe recalled.
"Everything starts popping, and I'm wearing this thing, and everyone wanted to get it wet. Everyone was spraying me with it, I had stuff on my head, it was great. And I go outside to do interviews in this and no shirt and I'm just like this is surreal, amazing. It went viral, people started buying them off Bogey Boys and now you see them at the stadium everywhere. It's called the Rowe Jacket online which is great. Out here, people are like I'm wearing my Rowe Jacket today."
For the full interview from Rowe, check out the latest episode of The Call Up here.
