The thrill of competition can often lead people to continue playing past their best years. However, some athletes stick around when it is obvious that they should be collecting Social Security and playing bingo. At least one person in all the major sports has stayed past his or her welcome and is now beginning to annoy me.Representing the NBA is Patrick Ewing. This guy has been a great player over the years, don’t get me wrong. But that’s just the problem: has been (i.e.: past tense).When he was with the New York Knicks, Ewing stood as a force to be reckoned with. He proved to be an adamant foe to the likes of Reggie Miller and Michael Jordan.Now, it seems he’s pining for that elusive championship ring. Ewing needs to take a cue from Sir Charles Barkley: Be content with what you’ve done and become an analyst for TNT’s basketball coverage.In the world of the NFL, Emmitt Smith conjures up an image of a self-serving glory-monger not playing for a win, but merely for a record. The record I speak of is Walter Payton’s all-time record of 16,762 rushing yards.Smith shouldn’t get the record because he just held out long enough in his career with a horrible team.Mike Tyson, the bad boy of boxing, continues to linger. He’s relegated himself to picking off jobbers and pushovers like Joe Louis’ old “bum of the month” club.Tyson needs either to fight Lennox Lewis for the title or get out of town.Tennis player Anna Kournikova has traveled the world entertaining and enticing men wherever she goes. When she isn’t dumping hockey- playing boyfriends, she is getting beaten in tournaments.She’s merely a novelty act posing as a professional tennis player. But of all the athletes who need to abandon ship, none is more upsetting then Eric Lindros of the NHL. Hockey is a rough sport, and in his nine-year career, this guy has already taken more blows to the head than a crash test dummy. The threat of debilitating injury could overshadow anything Lindros does on the ice for the rest of his career.When one more severe blow to the head could end your life, it’s time to take up a hobby. Go fishing or collect stamps, but quit putting your life at risk. Even the guys in the X-Games aren’t that crazy.Even though all of these athletes still maintain a certain level of playing ability, they are all past their respective primes.Maybe I can understand how hard it is to quit something you love.But I also understand that when you’re in the game for too long, people stop taking you seriously.