"Harold (Spider) Burke graduated from Mizzou in 1954. During his undergraduate days he was a football cheerleader, and he still is. He attends every home game dressed in his 30-year-old spirit costume, a black "M" jacket, black slacks and a yellow-and-black beanie. He carries a megaphone and runs up and down the sidelines yelling and gyrating with remarkable endurance, drawing, it seems, more cheers and laughs than any other single spirit person. In the stands and press box Spider Burke is often cited as a "real character," Mizzou's answer to the San Diego Chicken. However, when not performing, he turns out to be a soft-spoken, undemonstrative man who in real life is a construction-company executive and a Sunday school teacher. He is also a serious student of cheerleading. He feels he gets good response because the 1950 cheers were slower paced and there was time to build up greater volume with them. Based on his 29 years of experience, Burke thinks that the most successful of all Mizzou cheers was the "Big T"�Tiger spelled out letter by letter and then yelled three times. He regrets that it isn't in the current spirit repertoire. Burke also believes it is only ethical to use and encourage constructive cheers, "to pick up our own team and get people involved." When there is booing or rude remarks are directed toward opponents, Burke makes a thumbs-down gesture and holds it until the negative noise stops."
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1123735/1/index.htm