wow, i can't believe i've never heard 'punt' associated in any way with gambling. i'm interested to know if other USans have similarly missed the boat (har).

i guess its use in football makes sense, given that the ball is punted by the offense on the fourth down whenever it's clear that the 10-yards-in-four-attempts goal will not be reached. it's in a sense a 'bet' that the distance from the goal added by the punt/kick to the receiving team's drive will increase the likelihood that the punter will get the ball back without the receiving team having scored.

i'll anxiously await the results of your excavation.