Tucker on Pats, rules

Former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker, who now writes for SI.com, pens a piece titled "Cheaters never win: The risk of breaking rules not worth reward."

The story, which can be seen here, notes that Tucker saw first-hand that a player on injured reserve was illegally practicing with the Patriots when Tucker was a member of the club.

Tucker explains how that benefitted the Patriots, with relaying some other stories from his playing career.

"Bending rules is a fact of life in the NFL," Tucker writes. "From ballboys allowing the opposing team's footballs to get soaked, to hotel employees scouring rooms for game plan sheets after a team heads to the stadium, there are several ways to get in on the act. Seemingly no organization, no matter how accomplished or destitute it may be, is immune from the win-at-all-costs mentality. Some teams cheat and never get caught. Others simply refrain from breaking the rules but bend them right to the breaking point."