Youth football too dangerous? Dr. Paul Butler wants ban on high school football

CLEVELAND - Friday night high school football is a staple in the lives of many people across northeast Ohio. It's almost a rite of passage for some young teens. But one doctor is saying it's too dangerous and should be banned.

Dr. Paul Butler, a school board member in Dover, N.H. and former high school football player, is trying to sack the sport for young athletes for good.

Butler wants kids banned from the gridiron because "it's too dangerous for children to be playing."

It's a move that has sparked an uproar.

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh said, "Pantywaists who want to try to take the risk out of everything in life."

"A game that uses the head as a battering ram is not a smart game to allow a youngster to play," Butler explained.

New studies show kids who play football in high school, even peewee football, are also exposing themselves to the dangers of head trauma.

Butler admits he doesn't have the votes to ban football right now, but given the mounting evidence, he thinks his proposal will pick up yards in time. He calls it a first step toward "the inevitable."

Do you think peewee and high school football should be banned? What age is appropriate to begin playing the sport? Tell us in a comment below.