Photo: SBUnfurled X
BY ALLIE ELKINS, SPORTS EDITOR
The X (formally known as Twitter) account, SBUnfurled, has amassed 6.9k followers as a St. Bonaventure men’s basketball fan account since its creation in 2019.
The man behind the curtain is Derek Howard, a lifetime Bonaventure fan and alumni who created the account for fun five years ago.
“I used to do funny photo shops and edits for message boards,” said Howard. “I was like, ‘I’m gonna just start a Twitter account, so I’m not doing this on my personal account.’”’
Howard started SBUnfurled in 2019. His plans for the account were simple in the beginning.
“I wanted it to be some interesting stats, some things that I found funny or just making photoshops that I found funny,” said Howard.
The account gained popularity through its accurate reporting.
“It slowly took off when I started getting recruiting news,” said Howard. “That brought in a whole new side of the fanbase that was interested in recruiting infographics and statistics and getting to know players.”
Howard didn’t plan on the account blowing up.
“It all just kind of took off organically,” said Howard. “I never meant for it to become what it has become. But because it’s such a passionate fan base, people were super interested and we kind of took over.”
Howard says the account grew over time.
“So this was kind of a one-stop shop for a lot of different compartmentalized areas of the basketball program that I combined into one over time.”
Maintaining the integrity of the account is important to him.
“I know that in order to keep fans engaged and trusting, you have to put out accurate stuff,” said Howard. “You have to be careful about how you word things.”
Howard speaks on the importance of his account’s accuracy.
“It is just a fan account,” said Howard. “But at the end of the day, people do come for news and I want to be as accurate as possible.”
Howard is weary about ensuring the reliability of his content.
“It’s harder than ever to report on recruiting and player movement,” said Howard. “I never refer to players by name; I never put that out because I know that stuff can change. Especially when you have good players, all these other programs are trying to get them now.”
Howard’s dedication to covering Bonaventure basketball is rooted in his childhood experiences watching the team.
Howard grew up in Olean and has been a dedicated fan for as long as he can remember.
“Growing up, some of my earliest memories were going to Bonaventure games in the 90s,” said Howard. “It was just a madhouse, and I would always, as a kid, look down at how loud it was in the student section.”
Howard says he immediately fell in love with the university’s culture.
“It was just the environment that just pulled me in, and I was instantly a fan,” said Howard. “‘Hey, I’m in this small town, but they have such an awesome big-time Division I college basketball team.’”
Howard reflects on the role Bonaventure played in his life.
“Just being around it in the area, and seeing how much people cared about it, there’s something really magnetizing about it,” said Howard “Going through it and living it and like now looking back, some of the best years of my life were there.”
Howard graduated from St. Bonaventure in 2010 and then graduated from the graduate program in 2012. He works in education now while simultaneously running the account. Howard, who has a family, sees the value in keeping the account as a priority.
“I’m so busy now in life. I just had my first son, my first child was born a year and a half ago, and I’m like, ‘I still want to put out meaningful content,” said Howard. “But if I’m gonna be honest, life is very busy, but I still want to prioritize being influential and informing people.’”
Howard sees how his role and the account impact Bonaventure fans online.
“I think fans appreciate that and see a value in someone who knows the game and knows the program being able to give their opinion and their insights on things,” said Howard.
In Howard’s opinion, his account offers something unique.
“I want to be able to give Bona’s a voice in a way that official accounts can’t,” said Howard. “In a way that smaller accounts wouldn’t be able to.”
But what sets Unfurled apart for Howard is the way it showcases the personality of the University and how it impacts people who aren’t close to the school’s culture.
“[The account] isn’t only just to promote Bona’s to Bona people,” said Howard. “It’s just as much about giving Bona’s a good name to outsiders and being a voice for Bona’s in a way that we may not have otherwise had.”
elkinsae23@bonaventure.edu
