MIAMI -- LeBron James says his new protective mask is hot, uncomfortable and prone to fogging up. Larry Doby Jersey . Plus, as teammate Dwyane Wade pointed out, it looks weird. So James is in the market for design suggestions. "Ive been talking to Marvel Comics for the last couple of days, and DC Comics, to try to come up with one of the greatest masks of all time," James said with a chuckle Wednesday. "So well see what happens." James spoke after trying out his new mask for the first time in practice. He plans to use it Thursday when the Miami Heat play the New York Knicks. The game will be the first for James since he broke his nose last Thursday in a victory at Oklahoma City. He and his mask took part in contact drills Wednesday, and coach Erik Spoelstra was encouraged by James progress. "Hell give it a shot Thursday," Spoelstra said. "He was able to go through today without any hiccups. But he also didnt take a hit today." Given James aggressive style of play, hes bound to receive an inadvertent blow to the face sooner or later. Thus the mask. "It lessens the impact," said James, who wore a mask 10 years ago to protect a broken cheek. "You can still feel it, because the nose is still tender. But it definitely lessens the pain." James had removed his clear mask by the time media were admitted to the gym for the end of practice, but teammates provided a description. "He looked like every other player in a mask -- it looks weird," Wade said. "He looks like the LeBron that wore a mask the first time, only about 30 pounds heavier, a little more muscular, a little less hair." Said Shane Battier with a grin: "As long as No. 6 is in uniform, he looks all right to me." James was on a roll when hurt. On Thursday hell try for his fifth consecutive 30-point game, which would be the second-longest such streak in Heat history. The Heat have won five consecutive games and trail Eastern Conference leader Indiana by one game. But theyve been prone to stumble against weak opponents, and their next three games are at home against team with losing records -- the Knicks, Magic and Bobcats. Nine of the Heats 14 defeats, including one against the Knicks, have come versus teams that are below .500. "You dont want to lose to the good teams. And you dont want to lose to the teams that arent as good," Wade said. "So then you would be 82-0. Youve got to lose to somebody. You cant play your A game for 82 games, so you have some of those moments. It happens to every team. Were no different." Lately the two-time defending NBA champions have been consistently on their A game, in part because of stout defence. They held Oklahoma City to 81 points, which tied the Thunders season low, then held Chicago to 79 in a victory Sunday as an antsy James watched from the bench. The injury-plagued Knicks have lost their past three games, and in their season of upheaval, the latest jarring development came Tuesday. Point guard Raymond Felton was arraigned on two felony weapons possession charges following an early-morning arrest. After going 54-28 last season, the Knicks are 21-36. "They havent forgotten how to play," Spoelstra said. "Theyve been injury-riddled all year long, and thats tough to deal with. That adversity coming into our game is irrelevant. Im sure theyll be ready." The Knicks split two games earlier this season against Miami, and theyre one of the few teams with a player who can match James basket for basket. Carmelo Anthony has scored more than 40 points in three of the past four games. James said hes sorry to see his friend endure such a difficult season in the standings. "I want him to win, and I want him to succeed," James said. "Obviously he has been playing great basketball, but I definitely dont like seeing him lose the way theyve been losing." Jace Fry White Sox Jersey . He looked very comfortable Wednesday night. Konerko had a big three-run double and Gordon Beckham homered for the second straight game, leading the Chicago White Sox to an 8-3 victory over the sliding Chicago Cubs. Ryan Burr Jersey . The 28-year-old from Rochester, Alta., was selected by the Redblacks from the Saskatchewan Roughriders roster in the 2013 CFL Expansion Draft. https://www.cheapwhitesox.com/3444e-welington-castillo-jersey-white-sox.html .J. -- All those records, all for naught.On February 9, 2014, Michael Sam publicly declared he was a homosexual. The Missouri Tigers Defensive End and SEC Defensive player of the year is eligible for the upcoming NFL draft in May. The watershed announcement gives rise to a bit of a legal minefield and the league and teams will look to ensure that no lines are crossed. Lets break it down. Does the NFL have any rules any place protecting homosexuals from discrimination? They do have protection for homosexual players, although it wont apply unless Sam gets drafted. Article 49 of the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement provides that you cant discriminate against a player on the basis of "race, religion, national origin" or "sexual orientation". The reference to "sexual orientation" is brand new in the CBA, and the other 3 major sports also have a similar provision. Heres the catch: the CBA wont apply to Sam if hes not drafted. While the CBA provides that it covers all "present and future" players, it still restricts that player pool to drafted rookies or undrafted players who are negotiating with a team. If undrafted, Sam wouldnt qualify as either type of player. So that means if Sam goes undrafted, the NFL CBA wont apply to him. Is that it? Is there nothing else protecting a player like Sam? There is, but its not perfect. Theres no federal law prohibiting discrimination based upon sexual orientation. The existence of such a law would be ideal for Sam since it wouldnt matter where he would end playing since a federal law covers the entire country. There are laws at the state level, although not every state has them. In all, 21 states have laws on the books that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in the context of private employers. So that shakes out to 27 of the 32 NFL teams being the subject of gay employment protection laws. So which teams are in states where there arent state or other local laws protecting gay people? The five teams are as follows: Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Houston Texans, Arizona Cardinals and Tennesseee Titans. Harry Hooper Jersey. Heres the big question: if Michael Sam is not drafted, can he sue and win? Indeed, that is the big question. Sam is projected to be a mid to late round pick. In order to be successful in a lawsuit against the league he will need to show that he was not drafted because he is a homosexual. That can be tough in the context of a draft – even if it is true. We have seen the draft stock of players inexplicably drop in all the sports. We routinely see players drafted a lot later (or earlier) than projected. Apart from the top prospects, drafts can be highly unpredictable. Indeed, drafts are complicated beasts and it can be hard to show that a player wasnt drafted simply because he is gay. To have a shot at winning a lawsuit, Sam would need strong evidence supporting his case. He would be looking for things like incriminating statements or emails that provide that a team conspired not to draft Sam because of his sexuality. That may not be easy to find. Teams may pass on Sam because he is gay, but just never say it. Ultimately, Sam would need a smoking gun, and absent that he would have a tough time winning a lawsuit. Do you think teams will take a pass on Sam because hes gay? Reason would suggest that some teams may shy away from Sam because he is gay. From a philosophical standpoint, some executives may not be comfortable with the idea of a gay player. Other teams may not have an issue with his sexuality, but may still take a pass because they fear he will become a distraction. Indeed, we have already heard anonymous executives express this sentiment. While some may believe he could become a distraction, and by extension adversely affect his team, it seems unlikely to be the case. The NFL is filled with real and legitimate distractions: DUIs, domestic violence, vehicular manslaughter, murder and whatever Dez Bryant did last Sunday. None of these events have led to the downfall of a team or the demise of the league. And most certainly something as innocuous and irrelevant as a players sexuality wont become a problem. ' ' '