Dan Gilbert will forever be a hero in the city of Cleveland for the way he runs the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is not afraid to spend his money in the pursuit of winning. That is all fans can ask for in an owner.

His work in Cleveland makes it easy to forget he is a Michigan native and was specifically born in Detroit. Thus, the Michigan ties run deep.

That is why some fans may have been shocked when they saw a tweet Gilbert put out Wednesday morning. Yet all people had to do was check the calendar and read closely to figure out it was all a joke.

His pitch? Calling Cleveland’s new WNBA team the “Ohio Wolverines.”

Dan Gilbert has fun at the expense of Cleveland fans

Gilbert even goes as far to suggest the Detroit WNBA franchise call itself the “Michigan Buckeyes.” What he is not joking about is calling Lake Erie “the Midwest’s own Mediterranean.” That is no April Fools’ exaggeration.

The replies seem to show most people understood it as a joke. Yet there are certainly people who were clearly duped, perhaps too prideful to share it on social media.

Gilbert has the grace and goodwill among Cleveland fans to make a joke like this. What would have happened if Jimmy Haslam made a joke on social media to this magnitude? That would have been enough to power local talk shows for a week.

The Dolans, owners of the Guardians, would also not find a big sense of humor among fans.

Gilbert’s spending allows him to get away with these fun pranks

The Cavaliers are among a handful of teams spending over $200 million in cash on player salaries this season. Guardians fans could only dream of such spending, and MLB does not even have a salary cap. Thus, fans are often on Gilbert’s side for his commitment to winning.

This post also reminds fans of the coming WNBA franchise, which will debut in 2028. That team will only add to Gilbert’s portfolio in the city.

His Cavs are also among the favorites to win the NBA title in 2026.

The excitement only continues in the summer, win or lose, as rumors of another LeBron return will loom over the franchise. Such a move would likely be the next time fans would be talking about a Dan Gilbert social media post.

More Cavs coverage on our YouTube channel here:

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-0 tornado touched down in Wayne County as severe thunderstorms raced through Northeast Ohio Tuesday evening.

The Wayne County tornado touched down and lifted at 9:56 p.m.

It traveled .11 mile with a width of 75 yards and peak wind of 85 MPH, NWS confirmed.

Tornado warnings were issued in these counties:

• Cuyahoga
• Geauga
• Holmes
• Lake
• Stark
• Wayne

19 News reached out first responders in the areas where tornado sirens were set-off, but there was no significant damage reported.

However, thousands of people remain without power Wednesday.

Check the outage maps by FirstEnergy, Cleveland Public Power, and AEP for the latest developments.

Get the latest on the severe weather on the 19 First Alert Forecast webpage

Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.

CLEVELAND — A line of storms blew through northern Ohio Tuesday night, spurring Tornado Warnings, especially in the Cleveland area.

Gusts of 74 miles per hour were recorded hitting the region, and many are waking up without power on Wednesday morning, with some debris to clean up. 

The storms prompted a Flood Warning overnight, and high water remains to be an issue in some areas. 

As of Wednesday morning, more than 30,000 people were without power, mostly in Cuyahoga, Geauga and Lake counties. Cleveland Metropolitan School District announced some schools are closed due to power outages as well. 

In an update early Wednesday, Cleveland Public Power said it has worked through the night and restored power to approximately 75% of customers.

“Our crews are facing challenges such as uprooted trees and aluminum siding as well other debris blown into powerlines. We appreciate your patience as they work as quickly and safely as possible to restore power,” Cleveland Public Power wrote in a post on Facebook.

The National Weather Service reported multiple trees down, including a tree that went through a house in Wayne County. There are also massive trees blocking sidewalks and roadways, including in Shaker Heights. 

Over in Willoughby Hills, fire and police warned of high water from the Chagrin River, creating flood hazards. Some roads were closed in the area, including Bishop Road and White Road. Flooding was also reported along SOM Center Road. The river crested at about 15 feet at 4 a.m. Wednesday.

“Police, Fire and Service Departments are actively working to address these issues and assist residents,” Willoughby Hills Police said. “Please use extreme caution while driving. Do NOT attempt to drive through water of unknown depth.”

(Willoughby Hills Fire Department)

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To the western side of the state, Toledo also faced some damage from the strong storms.