#SaveTheCrew appeared like life itself, as if cosmic matter somehow joined with perfect conditions and created something that could not be predicted. Nobody knows who was first to drop the hashtag on social media, but, in the span of a dozen days, it has gained a vibrant, if inexplicable, life force.

“It’s Massive,” said Morgan Hughes, who a week ago organized a rally on the steps of City Hall that drew around 2,000 supporters.

Massive, with a capital “M,” is a heavy word in lingua franca of the Columbus soccer community. It was co-opted as a self-deprecating joke during the early 2000s, when the Crew, the first chartered franchise of Major League Soccer, became an afterthought as the league expanded into more glamorous markets.

Staunch locals closed ranks to defend the city’s honor against the powers that be — up to and including the team’s absentee owner, who mailed loose change to Columbus when the thought occurred to him. By 2008, when the Crew won the MLS Cup, Massive was a rallying cry and a badge of honor.

Two weeks ago, the new absentee owner, Anthony Precourt, announced that he will explore the possibility of moving the Crew to Austin, Texas. Immediately, it was clear that Precourt, backed by the league, had been surreptitiously plotting the move for months, or maybe years.

Hours after the announcement, Hughes, a 30-something member of one of the team’s supporter groups, met like-minded friends at an Old North bar for a pity party. A text from longtime soccer broadcaster Chris Doran changed the tenor of the evening.

“Chris says, ‘Hey, dude, why don’t you stand up and do something about this (stuff),’ ” Hughes said. “And I said, ‘You know, that’s a good idea.’ The narrative is out there to control. Let’s fight this with every fiber of our being. Let’s get the word out.”

#SaveTheCrew, Hughes said, is “a manifestation of every single thing we’ve been through as a fan base, and may God have mercy on anyone who gets in our way.”

Hughes was a little amped there. Understand: The movement he is helping spirit is not an angry protest with anarchic aims — it is about uniting behind a moral ideal and preserving history. The goal is to get Precourt and MLS commissioner Don Garber to sit down with city leaders who are trying to keep Columbus’ team in Columbus.

“People stepping forward all over the place to offer their time, sweat and expertise,” Hughes said. “It’s breathtaking.”

The beauty of it could be seen Friday night in the back of the Land Grant Brewing Company on West Town Street. A throng of new volunteers — like 50-somethings Scott and Jo Rodgers — joined a younger set of “Tifosweat” regulars — like John Zidar, Darby Schaff and Donny Murray — to paint signage. Oh, did they paint.

They also might have choked down a drop or two of Glory, an American wheat ale with Citra hops, brewed in their honor.

“These young people, they give me hope for the future,” Jo Rodgers said.

On Thursday night, the Crew came out of penalty kicks with a stirring upset victory over Atlanta United, a fancy new team. As one sign painter said, “We’re four games away from hosting the MLS Cup. That’s the nightmare scenario, isn’t it?”

On Saturday morning, they rose before dawn to stake out territory outside Ohio Stadium — so they could photobomb ESPN’s College GameDay set with #SaveTheCrew flags. A national television audience saw Scarlet & Gray turn Black & Gold.

Homemade #SaveTheCrew signage could be seen in every MLS stadium on the last day of MLS regular season. Soon, it will be seen in at least one English Premier League stadium (Huddersfield). The savethecrew.com website has already generated more than 36,000 visitors and 1,145 orders for banners.

It is a fight against powerful, well-heeled interests. The odds of prevailing remain long. Such is Massive, real and pure and 100 percent organic.

marace@dispatch.com

@MichaelArace1

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