Boston 2024 has seen a slight resurgence in its recent poll numbers, and is attempting to capitalize on the small support bump by adding some notable New England athletes (past and present) to its board of directors. Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, Celtics legends Larry Bird and Jo Jo White, former Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan and 2014 Boston Marathon champion (as well as Olympic bronze medalist) Meb Keflezighi are all signed on to help add some genuine star power to the 2024 board, according to the Boston Globe.

Clearly, the role of sports legends will not be on the same level as the other 25 board members, who will be more involved in the day-to-day and planning of the bid. Other than name value and public endorsement (like Keflezighi’s video seen above), people like Bird and Ortiz are not expected to contribute that much.

Still, their mere support will help the bid as it tries to regain legitimacy in the eyes of sports-obsessed Massachusetts.

Notably, Ortiz is the only sports legend of the group who never actually participated in the Olympics. Bird and White won gold for USA basketball, while Kwan and Keflezighi also won medals.

Critics will clearly point to the fact that this means nothing in terms of actual project details, or making the region any safer from feared cost overruns. Additionally, several of the athletes don’t even life in the state, rendering their ultimate opinion less relevant.

That said, getting famous endorsements can only help Boston 2024, who can leverage their popularity to win support.

After all, Larry Bird’s Olympic ties are all good:

Image via Boston 2024