Yeah I know it was crime related but that has got to be one of the most assinine assumptions ever. So ridiculous.
Here's a little history of it from Dan Steinberg:
Sports Illustrated wrote that Pollin "didn't want to contribute to Washington's reputation for violent crime." USA Today said it was because "gun violence is at epidemic level in far too many parts of this country." The New York Times said Pollin changed the name "after his friend Yitzhak Rabin, Israel's prime minister, was shot to death." The AP said it was "because of the violent connotation." The New York Post said it was "in reaction to violent crime in Washington." Mike Wise said it was "to honor the memory of his friend, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated." Mike Lee said it was "after his friend, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, was gunned down." Christine Brennan said it was because Pollin "was so concerned about violence in the D.C. streets." The Dallas Morning News said it was "in deference to the high gun violence rate in Washington."
Pollin said[,] "We haven't made a final decision. In the old days, our motto was Faster than a speeding Bullet.' That's how we were envisioned in Baltimore. Today the connotation is a little different. It's connected with so many horrible things that people do with guns and bullets. I don't know. We're considering it. We'll make a decision this summer."
Steinberg thinks the Rabin connection was more coincidental.
