[jQuery] getJSON callback not firing?

[jQuery] getJSON callback not firing?

Hey all:
I've read the docs and googled the heck out of this, but not seeing what the problem is.
I'm trying to get some data from the server via the getJSON() method.  I do see a response in firebug and I've validated the response data at JSONLint.com.  However, the callback function simply will not fire.  I've tried to simplify things as much as possible.  The CFC returning the data is in the same directory as the calling page.  The callback function, for now, should only alert a simple text string (which has evolved from "hi" to "foo" to a censored version below as the hours have passed).
$(document).ready(function() {
    $('a.players').click(function() {
        $.getJSON(
            'data.cfc?method=getPlayerByID&returnformat=JSON&queryformat=column&playerID=' + <a href="http://this.id">this.id</a>,
            function(data) {
                alert('i %!%##%* hate you');
            });
        return false;
    });
});
Here's the response I receive:
{"ROWCOUNT":1,"COLUMNS":["PLAYERID","PLAYERNAME","PLAYERNUMBER","PLAYERPOSITION","PLAYERIMG","PLAYERCOLLEGE"],"DATA":{"PlayerID":[1],"PlayerName":["Barden, Ramses"],"PlayerNumber":[13],"PlayerPosition":["WR"],"PlayerImg":["http:\/\/<a href="http://assets.giants.com">assets.giants.com</a>\/uploads\/players\/2FE2D3BDF4FB443D949D1D39B69ADC03.gif"],"PlayerCollege":["Cal Poly"]}}
...which when pasted into JSONLint returns valid.
If anyone has any ideas, or if there's any additional information that I can provide, I'm all ears.
Thanks!
Charlie<br clear="all">
--
Charlie Griefer
<a href="http://charlie.griefer.com/">http://charlie.griefer.com/</a>
I have failed as much as I have succeeded. But I love my life. I love my wife. And I wish you my kind of success.