To those requesting more:
I am a whale Captain now but up till last year was a domestic pilot who flew all Boeings and the Airbus. In that time we always, and with rare exception, I mean always met the crew (Capt, F/O and S/O) at the beginning of the ID/Paring 1 hour before the first flight at our home domicile (pilot base with our CAL harmonization). When I was first hired we had to check in with the local crew desk (the domiciles each had their own crew desk in the day) and then would meet the rest of the crew.
As a whale captain we all meet and brief no different, except look over the weather a little bit closer because of the length and possibilities associated with international flights. More than likely we joke about bunk time or lack of landings.
Even when 8L5'd (covering flying at another domicile) including IAD, DCA and BWI I always met the crew in the station's designated flight planning office/room.
The not meeting the captain is an sCAL tradition, not sUAL.