MORGANTOWN — Mike Martin wasn’t long removed from his New York roots, a somewhat rare import in these parts compared to the migration of New Jerseyites who matriculate at West Virginia University.

He’d come to town to major in sports broadcasting, and that helped him get his summer internship with NBC-TV in the city where he is shadowing broadcaster Bruce Beck during the NHL playoffs, rubbing elbows with the Rangers and the Devils.

But his connection with sports is more the reason he is a subject of a sports column in this neck of the woods, for a recent tour of YouTube brought one to a couple of videos he had made singing and playing the guitar with a man who has become a cultural hero in these parts, basketball center Deniz Kilicli.

Oddly, the acquaintance between the two did not grow out of Martin’s affiliation with the Mountaineer Maniacs fan group, of which he is the marketing director, but instead quite by accident.

“He was in my English class,” Martin recalled. “That’s how I first met him. I can talk to anyone, but I didn’t talk to him because he was a basketball player, but instead because he made funny comments here and there. Still, he looked like he felt uncomfortable, and I wanted to make him feel like people weren’t just looking at him as a basketball player.”

It was mostly just an acquaintance kind of relationship until one day Martin went into a recording studio with Eric Jordan, a rap producer.

“Weird enough, out of the blue, randomly Deniz was there,” Martin said.

More conversation, but not really a friendship.

Martin went home for the summer and moved into a new place last fall.

“I go to meet my neighbors upstairs and guess who’s living there — Deniz Kilicli,” he said.

This was a friendship that was meant to be.

“Now I’m best friends with him and his roommate. They came over to watch the Super Bowl, and he was like, ‘Let’s do a halftime show.’ I don’t like to sing in front of people, but he starts playing my songs. ... I hate listening to myself,” Martin said.

He was hooked though. Before long they were doing some performing together, even though fate intervened to keep them from residing in the same building.

“Two or three months into school, our house burned down,” Martin said.

This was the way Kilicli described the incident at the time:

“I had just come back from class and was in the bathroom when all this was happening. I smelled smoke, but I figured it was something little.”

He had to flee when he learned it was a large fire, escaping with all that was important to him.

“No one got hurt, and my guitars are safe,” Kilicli said. “That’s all I really care about.”

“He’s the best guitar player I’ve ever seen personally, and I’ve seen some good guitar players,” Martin said. “And he taught himself how to play. In fact, he learned the English language from watching TV, watching ‘Family Ties.’”

Martin’s other tie to WVU sports is an important one with the Maniacs. In his role as marketing director, he is involved with communicating with the members and recruiting, and he does so at a crucial time in their existence, for they are attempting to clean up what is not exactly a glowing image as the Mountaineers move into the Big 12.

“I’m putting out a message. The image has not been of the classiest student organization, and we’re trying to back away from that and trying to make everyone feel safe,” he said. “I made it clear (when joining the group) I want to walk into a situation where I can add something to people who want to have a fun, safe environment at a football and basketball game.”

That is the message Martin wants to get across.

“I don’t want people feeling uncomfortable, feeling ‘I don’t want to be seen on TV because I’m sitting next to some kid with a ‘(expletive) West Virginia’ shirt on.’ That’s not what we want,” he explained.

“What we’re really trying to do is create a good brand image for us. We want followers, people who support us and don’t wear ‘(expletive) West Virginia’ shirts. That’s not what we’re looking for. We’re looking for the type of kids who will support us and wear a West Virginia football or basketball shirt.”

There are those who would argue that day will never come, not as deeply ingrained is the bad behavior in the fans.

“We’re going into it knowing it’s not going to be easy. It’s a college town. It’s a party town. We know the reputation we have with drinking and burning couches,” he said. “I don’t think in one year it’s all going to go away. It’s going to take some time and effort.

“There are different things we’re trying to do with fan events and Fanfests that will help. We have some different things in the works, the director of the Manics and me. We have something that can bring everyone together in a safe environment.

“Nothing’s impossible. It can be accomplished. We know what we should do, and we’re going to do it. It may take years, it may take months, it may take a day, but we’re going to do it.”

Email Bob Hertzel at bhertzel@hotmail.com. Follow on Twitter @bhertzel.