Xml data cannot be encoded via json

[capejoe]

\[code\] $drivetracker = simplexml_load_file('geot_5980.xml'); $currentDrive = "init"; $save = 0; $drive = 0; $break = 0; $display = 0; $changeDrive = 0; $endhalf = 0; $data = http://stackoverflow.com/questions/15710905/array(); $driveArr = array(); foreach ($drivetracker->plays->qtr as $qtr): foreach ($qtr->play as $myplay): $hasball = (string)$myplay['hasball']; $play = (string)$myplay['spot']; $down = (string)$myplay['down']; $togo = (string)$myplay['togo']; $type = (string)$myplay['type']; $text = (string)$myplay['text']; $hasball = mb_convert_encoding($hasball, 'UTF-8'); $play = mb_convert_encoding($play, 'UTF-8'); $down = mb_convert_encoding($down, 'UTF-8'); $togo = mb_convert_encoding($togo, 'UTF-8'); $type = mb_convert_encoding($type, 'UTF-8'); $text = mb_convert_encoding($text, 'UTF-8'); if ($save == 0 && strpos($text, 'start') !== FALSE){ $save = 1; $break = 1; } else if ($save == 1 && strpos($text, 'start') !== FALSE) { $break = 1; } else if ($save == 1 && strpos($text, 'Start') !== FALSE) { $break = 1; } else if ($save == 1 && strpos($text, 'ball') !== FALSE) { $break = 1; } else if ($save == 1 && strpos($text, 'Timeout') !== FALSE) { $break = 1; } else if ($save == 1 && strpos($text, 'and') !== FALSE) { $break = 1; } //ignore all plays when save is false if($save == 0){$break = 1;} if($break == 0){ //drive check if (strpos($currentDrive, 'init') !== FALSE){ $currentDrive = $hasball; $drive += 1; } else if ($currentDrive != $hasball){ $currentDrive = $hasball; $drive += 1; $display = 1; } else if (strpos($text, 'End of half') !== FALSE) { // end of half or game so new drive $endhalf = 1; } if($drive == $driveid){ array_push($data, array("text" => $text, "spot" => $play, "ball" => $hasball, "togo" => $togo, "type" => $type, "drive"=> $drive) ); } if($endhalf == 1) { $drive += 1; } } //resetter after each iteration $break = 0; $display = 0; $endhalf = 0; endforeach; endforeach; print_r($data); echo json_encode($data);\[/code\]print_r($data) gives out,\[code\]Array ( [0] => Array ( [text] => Godhigh, R. rush for 2 yards to the GT27 (Canty, W). [spot] => GT25 [ball] => GT [togo] => 10 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [1] => Array ( [text] => Days, S. rush for 5 yards to the GT32 (Woodruff, J;Brown, Ky). [spot] => GT27 [ball] => GT [togo] => 8 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [2] => Array ( [text] => Sims, D. rush for 6 yards to the GT38, 1ST DOWN GT (Anunike, K;Sarmiento, S). [spot] => GT32 [ball] => GT [togo] => 3 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [3] => Array ( [text] => Godhigh, R. rush for 18 yards to the DU44, 1ST DOWN GT (Cockrell, R). [spot] => GT38 [ball] => GT [togo] => 10 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [4] => Array ( [text] => Lee, V. pass complete to Greene, J. for 5 yards to the DU39 (Foster, T). [spot] => DU44 [ball] => GT [togo] => 10 [type] => P [drive] => 7 ) [5] => Array ( [text] => Laskey, Z. rush for 9 yards to the DU35 (Sink, N). [spot] => DU44 [ball] => GT [togo] => 10 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [6] => Array ( [text] => Laskey, Z. rush for 5 yards to the DU30, 1ST DOWN GT (Canty, W;France, C). [spot] => DU35 [ball] => GT [togo] => 1 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [7] => Array ( [text] => Laskey, Z. rush for 4 yards to the DU26 (Sink, N). [spot] => DU30 [ball] => GT [togo] => 10 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [8] => Array ( [text] => Lee, V. rush for 3 yards to the DU23 (Brown, Ky). [spot] => DU26 [ball] => GT [togo] => 6 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [9] => Array ( [text] => Laskey, Z. rush for 5 yards to the DU18, 1ST DOWN GT (Canty, W). [spot] => DU23 [ball] => GT [togo] => 3 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [10] => Array ( [text] => Smith, O. rush for 8 yards to the DU10 (France, C). [spot] => DU18 [ball] => GT [togo] => 10 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [11] => Array ( [text] => Lee, V. rush for 4 yards to the DU6, 1ST DOWN GT (France, C). [spot] => DU10 [ball] => GT [togo] => 2 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [12] => Array ( [text] => Laskey, Z. rush for 3 yards to the DU3 (Helton, D;Woodruff, J). [spot] => DU06 [ball] => GT [togo] => 0 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [13] => Array ( [text] => Laskey, Z. rush for no gain to the DU3 (Woodruff, J;Brown, Ky). [spot] => DU03 [ball] => GT [togo] => 0 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [14] => Array ( [text] => Smith, O. rush for 1 yard to the DU2 (France, C). [spot] => DU03 [ball] => GT [togo] => 0 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [15] => Array ( [text] => Lee, V. rush for 2 yards to the DU0, TOUCHDOWN, clock 04:34. [spot] => DU02 [ball] => GT [togo] => 0 [type] => R [drive] => 7 ) [16] => Array ( [text] => Tanner, C. kick attempt good. [spot] => DU03 [ball] => GT [togo] => 0 [type] => X [drive] => 7 ) [17] => Array ( [text] => Tanner, C. kickoff 51 yards to the DU14, Butler, L return 16 yards to the DU30 (Noble, D.). [spot] => GT35 [ball] => GT [togo] => 0 [type] => K [drive] => 7 ) )\[/code\]json_encode($data) gives blank...Anyone know why this php array composed of xml information cannot be encoded via json?