Ronnie O'Sullivan once described the BBC Sports Personality programme's treatment of snooker as a "complete insult" and claimed he had no interest in attending the ceremony.
The Rocket has been shortlisted for the Sports Personality of the Year 2022 after winning a magical seventh world title in May.
Other nominees include footballer Beth Mead, England Test cricket captain Ben Stokes, gymnast Jessica Gadirova, athlete Jake Wightman and curling's Eve Muirhead.
O'Sullivan had looked on course to win the award after his record-equalling seventh Crucible crown - but England hero Mead is now the overwhelming favourite after the Lionesses' Euros triumph this summer.
Now snooker's undisputed greatest, O'Sullivan is also arguably one of the most talented British sportsmen ever, but he had to wait until 2020 for his first SPOTY nomination.
And he has often been quizzed on his sport's lack of representation at SPOTY with his childhood hero Steve Davis the first and only snooker player to win the trophy back in 1988.
It is fair to say O'Sullivan has been dismissive of the BBC's ceremony in the past, with his exploits on the baize hardly recognised despite the broadcaster showcasing all of snooker's Triple Crown events - the World Championship, the Masters and the UK Championship.
The 47-year-old transcends snooker and five million people tuned into his world final victory over Judd Trump - the triumph that earned him this year's nomination. But he was snubbed in 2016 and famously voiced his disproval at attitudes towards the sport.
“You’re competing with Formula One, tennis, golf and the Olympics," he said. "They give it like 10 seconds on BBC Sports Personality - it’s a complete insult to the sport. But it’s what they think of it and what they believe it warrants, and that says it all really.
"Snooker is becoming a nothing-type sport – it’s a bit like a garage sale, but with other sports it’s like shopping at Harrods. They’re playing so much of it, it’s cheap TV. I think snooker has lost that respect among other sports – the Olympics are such a massive thing now as are sports like golf and tennis."
And a year later, O'Sullivan insisted he was relieved he is never recognised as he would not bother attending the annual ceremony.
“I'm so happy I don't get nominated because I never would want to go,” he claimed. “It's not my type of thing - standing around at some gathering. It's not my scene and I really hope I never get nominated.”
That snooker is overlooked for other mainstream sports at SPOTY is often a source of frustration for fans of the sport - particularly with a character as box-office as O'Sullivan. He failed to claim a top three prize after his 2020 nomination and said after his world title win this year that he had no chance of ever winning a SPOTY award.
"I won’t ever get that one," he said. "I don’t know why. I don’t think I’ll be in the hunt. I don’t think so. It’s not one I want to win. I’m not bothered about awards, trophies or accolades."
And O'Sullivan is all too familiar with snooker's standing in the sporting popularity stakes. “I can’t think of any other British sportsman that’s been as successful as I have," he told Eurosport's feature Seventh Heaven in October. "There probably is one but I can’t quite think of one.
“Breaking the major record, 21 majors, equalling Stephen Hendry’s seven world titles, I think that resonates with people. I’ve been around a long time and the British public have supported me really, really well.
“It would be nice [to win SPOTY] but obviously I understand that there are other sportspeople out there that maybe come ahead of me in the popularity stakes. It’s probably more of a popularity contest and what type of sport you play."
While snooker is so-often snubbed by the BBC at the SPOTY - golf faces a similar problem in gaining recognition. Sir Nick Faldo is the last golfer to win the award, one year after Steve Davis claimed the accolade.
Rory McIlroy was denied the title despite back-to-back major championship victories in 2014 and US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick has not made this year's shortlist. But O'Sullivan insists that had he been top of his field in a different sport, he would have won multiple SPOTY awards.
“If I was a golfer or a tennis player, I would probably have won it seven or eight times. 10 times!" he said. "But I’m not, I’m a snooker player, so it probably doesn’t get the recognition as other sports do.”
The BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony takes place at Media City in Salford on Wednesday December 21.
