Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:
Last Tuesday night was a potentially huge win for the Cavaliers’ franchise. And not just because they had a nice comeback victory against the Wizards.
A couple hours after the game, there was a massive party underway on The Q’s fourth-floor practice court. The team’s owners, especially majority owner Dan Gilbert, and top officials were celebrating and hugging amidst tables with high-end food and top-shelf alcohol. There was even a disc jockey. If not for the dozens of Issue 3 banners, you could have mistaken it for a five-star wedding reception.
Voters have cleared the way for Gilbert to build two casinos within the next three years, including one across the street from the arena he controls. The effect it will have on downtown is debatable, but there’s no doubt the impact it will have on the Cavs.
Gilbert’s victory — which amounted to pulling the sword from the stone after casino issues had failed four times before — can be attributed in part to how well he’s managed the Cavs since he bought them in 2005. It may have only been the beginning.
Gilbert should consider encouraging Cavs players to gamble there. Maybe they’ll lose all their money back to him.
