He wasn't here and half the questions seemed to be about his not being here.
This one, though, ended up as more of a classroom lecture, featuring Prof. W. Buono.
The common denominator of Winnipeg Grey Cups - having been here with the Calgary Stampeders in the previous two - Wally Buono said he wasn't planning on going after Matthews's record for wins (231) despite The Don's career now being complete.
"It's never been an objective of mine and still isn't,'' he said of his 201-and-counting.
"I have two years left on my contract and since my surgery I feel good. It's not as draining as it used to be. But whether I'm first, second or eighth, I'm not going to be hanging on to break that record.
"It would be disrespectful to Don and to the league.''
Buono, 56, is both GM and head coach. Jim Popp is the Als' GM who took over as head coach two thirds of the way through the season. Danny Maciocia in Edmonton has recently been given both jobs. Buono was asked if he had any advice in that area.
"You've got to be able to separate the two without separating yourself,'' he said.
"The hardest thing is, you have to be numb to your emotions. The coach loves the player. The GM doesn't always love the player.
"The coach has to get the best out of them; the GM has to replace them.
"But the flip side is good. When players understand their best friend is the coach, who is also the GM, there is no contradiction there.
"So when the player is playing well, the head coach will make sure the GM knows that he needs to be taken care of.
"There are times, I believe, that when two people are involved, there's a conflict of opinion.
"The secret to winning and having a great organization is to know who the winners are on your team, and to keep them happy.''
In a roundabout way Prof. Buono admitted that football people like himself are to blame for the dramatic drop in entertainment value in the CFL this season.
"In increasing the roster by two players, we added defence. We have two better cover guys on defence and two better special-team guys.
"If you didn't fire coaches on wins or losses but entertainment ... you have to be good on defence to win.''
Buono suggested he was going to handle the week differently than his first seven trips to the game as head coach, in which he's only won three.
"Maybe the (heart bypass) surgery changed me,'' he said.
"Maybe I'm not as hard or structured as before. Grey Cup week has enough distractions. Sometimes curfews are a distraction,'' said Buono, who had one in force before losing the last one, two years ago, to the Argos.
He's letting the players police themselves this time around.
"I've told them if the game is important to you, curfews are not important at all.''
BACK TO SEX
To wrap it all up, of course, was the annual question of the late Toronto Sun sports columnist Jim Hunt regarding the philosophy of players having sex before the game.
For the past two years the question has provided gems.
"If it has worked thus far, please indulge. If it has not benefited you to this point, please abstain,'' said Pinball Clemons in his first trip to the game as head coach of the Toronto Argos.
"Whatever they've done to get here, keep it up,'' said rookie head coach Danny Maciocia of the Edmonton Eskimos last year.
This year it was Popp's turn in the barrel.
"I have four kids. It has never hampered my ability to perform.''
That said, Popp's going with a curfew.
Look out for the Alouettes early and the Lions late.
