Just a couple of small town guys in the big show.

"When I first got (to Utah), it was, like, different,"

said former Jazz guard Derek Fisher. "But after being there for a while I started to see other than just personality — Phil being one man and Jerry being another man in terms of their experiences and their background and their personalities. Basketball-wise, I saw a lot of similarities."

Yet while Sloan claims he's just a simple-minded farmer, Jackson has written books on the mental aspects of basketball. This is the guy who passed out copies of philosophy books to his team and asked players to meditate with him.

"Love is the force that ignites the spirit and binds teams together," he once said.

Same guy who came to Salt Lake during the 1997 NBA Finals and called Mormonism "a cult."

He complained constantly about the Jazz's physical style and proclaimed John Stockton as dirty as Dennis Rodman, the only difference being their off-court lifestyles.

Not that Salt Lake gets treated differently than anyone else. Jackson did the same thing to Sacramento several years ago in the playoffs and called the California capital "a cow town."

The objective is to get officials on his side, or maybe simply to get under the opponents' skin. Before this series is over, he will undoubtedly comment on the night life, the weather and — to be sure — the uncouthness of the Jazz crowd.

So far, his approach has worked. The man has won nine NBA titles, tied for most in coaching history.

Once you get inside someone's head, it's hard to get you out.

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E-mail: rock@desnews.com