Why Columbus deserves an MLS franchise

On the surface, Columbus, Ohio doesn't have the most interesting downtown. Char Bar - the kind of place where locals buy you shots and your sleeves stick to the woodwork - offers reprieve from the faux-glitziness of the Convention Center over the road, and Jack and Benny's diner is a grounded alternative to the flashy lights and disappointing fare of the chain coffee shop next door. Otherwise, Columbus' nucleus would look the same as many other North American towns to a foreign visitor: wide roads, immaculate and large buildings, not especially sexy.

Except it is the undoubted home of soccer in the United States - and not just because Mapfre Stadium was the first venue specifically built for the sport. With Columbus nearing a successful conclusion in its bid to Save the Crew - the name of the movement to keep the MLS franchise in the city - the unfashionable conurbation has reminded the league of the core values previously championed by commissioner Don Garber, and also upheld the community ties that are the very foundation of club football.

Related: Saved the Crew? Local group in negotiations to keep MLS in Columbus

Beneath the cookie-cutter North American sheen is a populace that is proud of its blue-collared roots. They are fiercely loyal, so when Save the Crew began their mission to scupper franchise owner Anthony Precourt's plans to snatch the franchise from Columbus' grasp and drop it nearly 2,000 km away in Austin, Texas, it didn't take much to get locals behind the cause. To them, this wasn't an affront to the franchise, it was an attack on the city itself.

(Courtesy: theScore)

Precourt's unsettling declaration of his Austin strategy almost a year ago only served to tighten bonds in the city: Save the Crew has been closely aligned with local nonprofits, has fostered relationships with businesses in the community, and the group's merchandise is a regular fixture at any event in Columbus.

Karen Crognale, the mother of Crew defender Alex, braves the colder temperatures outside Mapfre Stadium to enjoy a tailgate with family and friends. Ahead of the Crew's breathtaking 3-3 comeback draw with reigning MLS champions Toronto FC earlier this season, she sent text messages to members of Save the Crew encouraging them to come and try the cupcakes she had brought to the pre-match tailgate.

The Crognales socialize with the families of Wil Trapp and Zack Steffen, Crew stars who are establishing themselves in the U.S. squad, outside Mapfre Stadium, but there are plenty of other players inside the Crew circle. Ohio native Josh Williams was the first current Crew player to speak out against the proposed relocation when he admitted to theScore in June that, as a boyhood fan of the club, he did not "want the team to go anywhere." He walked through the door of Endeavor Brewing Company - Save the Crew's base and also where podcasts instrumental to the cause are recorded - on Friday when news of a positive announcement began to emerge. Forward Adam Jahn, who was born nearly 4,000 km away in California and only moved to town in 2016, was kicking a ball around with young fans on the patio.

The affinity between supporters and players in Columbus is refreshing. Players tend to cower from the public in fear of becoming viral on social media for the wrong reasons, but the spirit of Frankie Hejduk, a charismatic terrace icon and goalscorer in the victorious 2008 MLS Cup final, is still strong.

Keeping a franchise in Columbus also avoids a potential PR disaster for MLS. Garber passionately stated a pillar of MLS was community but, unbeknownst to the club's supporters, included small print in the paperwork when Precourt took over in 2013 that allowed him to move the franchise to Austin. Then MLS entertained campaigning for expansion franchises in places like San Antonio, despite an Austin team inevitably quashing those bids. There have been suggestions that it's no coincidence the Crew have suffered miserly exposure on national television since Precourt revealed his plans.

For an outside viewer, the conduct of MLS appears shady and is certainly not the "real" football the league should promote to tempt followers from European powerhouses such as the Premier League and La Liga. A successful campaign to keep elite soccer in Columbus, where the fan base is passionate and the city has made MLS take stock of what is really important, should be celebrated by soccer fans.

When football clubs were being founded in England in the 1800s, the sole point was to serve the community. Columbus has instead served the Crew, but the franchise can now repay the favor. Moving from Mapfre Stadium (a venue in an inconvenient location and where there's nowhere to buy a pint) and into the city center would supplement a sporting culture supported by the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets and Ohio State University teams, splashing yellow and black over a city that would perhaps benefit from a little more color.