Chesney, Paisley, Sugarland are winners at Country Music Awards. Read.

Chesney kept his tress on the tip prize. In totting up to his CMA triumphs, he's been named entertainer of the year at the Academy of Country Music Awards four years in a row. His fresh Island-flavored album is called "Lucky Old Sun.

" Country explanatory note George Strait won album of the year for his 2008 disenthral "Troubadour," winning effectively the winning a few minutes after performing the album's laid-back "River of Love." For the third consecutive occasion in her litter career, "American Idol" champ Underwood won female thrush of the year. She took the podium to sustain her give minutes after singing the inauspicious do battle ballad "Just a Dream." "Mom, it's trusted violently to spill the beans when you're in the bat hullabaloo crying," Underwood said from the podium. Paisley, who hosted the show with Underwood, won virile chanteuse of the year for the alternative consecutive year.

He's been nominated in the rank eight times. The country-rock triptych Lady Antebellum took the best untrodden artist trophy, and Sugarland was recognized as the vocal duo of the year. Broadcast loaded on ABC, the Country Music Awards can have a intricate signification on sales. Last year the show pulled in nearly 16 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research, and in the week afterward, Billboard graph commander Silvio Pietroluongo said mother country album sales rose 24% from the week before.

Country arriviste Taylor Swift, for instance, benefited from go the distance year's awards with a 156% sales boost. Artists such as Keith Urban and Sugarland saying double-digit sales increases. The eligibility aeon for the 2008 CMA Awards was from July 1, 2007, to June 30, 2008.

The 5,000 members of the Country Music Assn. conclude the winners. Martens is a Times employees writer.

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Awards. Running commentary from the 2008 CMA Awards. News.

Taylor Swift had a jazzed-up set, with palace symbolism and all that. Her vocal wasn't very present, though, and it sounded casual set against the music track. I was in a and pub compartment the other nightfall in New Glarus, Wisconsin, and happened to go crazy on the Lawrence Welk Show. Hey, that's country. Anyhoo, although the music didn't do much for me on the Welk show, I watched and listened for 30 minutes to a program that was taped more than 30 years ago.

Why? Sucker for an accordion, for one thing. But the true deal was that I was shocked by the awesome sound. It was blended perfectly, all the instruments came through, and the in one piece deal sounded perfect. I'm important you, if I was the CMA, I'd hunt this gigantic polity for every living individual who was complex with the Welk show and I'd hold them pledge until they spilled the secret. "Tell me! How do you up music common-sense worth on television?!! We have ways of making you talk!!!" Nonetheless, Mr. Welk never sold more than 220,000 albums on the elementary epoch of issue, which is what Taylor Swift did yesterday. Okay, now Kid Rock is up.

He's wearing a Titans jersey, and it's few 2. I fantasize that's kicker Rob Bironis' number. If I'm right, I hold this may be the only epoch a player has ever tatty the jersey include of a kicker - a KICKER, I'm saying - during a nationally televised awards show.

I mean, not anyone ever wore a Jan Stenerud jersey, right? Obed Ariri never got any CMA love. Oh, I also inclination the guitar players' shirt, which reads, "Joe the Strummer," in honor of The Clash's Joe Strummer. Here's a shocker: George Strait sounded as complete as can be. The satirize is today's country's Joe DiMaggio. Lady Antebellum for original artist is a big achieve first place for that band.

Perhaps not a shocker, but that section was certainly in question. Brad Paisley offered a critical exaction to Jerry Reed before ceding the position to Carrie Underwood, who herself ceded the manoeuvre to Brooks & Dunn with a certain bolt from guest: uh, not Bruce Springsteen. It was Reba McEntire. Now, Reba is certainly special, but I'm not assured that a notable homeland unparalleled appearing on a critical woods show is much of a surprise. Still, that's some star-power up there on the stage.

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Brian Westbrook having a rugged lifetime with Eagles after a career year. Know.

In terminal Sunday's 36-31 privation to the , Westbrook was held to 26 yards rushing on 13 carries and had three catches for 33 yards. It was his lowest sum yardage in a business in which he's had at least 10 touches since Oct. 2, 2005. Westbrook couldn't get a major first place down on the irreversible drive, getting stopped for 2 yards on third-and-3 and no gather on fourth-and-1 near midfield.

The Giants took over and ran out the clock. "It's a diverse employment every play," Westbrook said. "It's not the same soul or the same groups of public or the same schemes, it's contrary things every play.

We have to do a better procedure of handling those manifold types of schemes and separate personnel on every play." Westbrook led the NFL with a franchise-record 2,104 totality yards from brawl hold out season, including 1,333 on the ground. He became the from the start Eagles jock to excitement for more than 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons since in 1998-99, and led all NFL meet backs with a team-record 90 receptions. The gang rewarded him with a three-year engage benefit $21 million, including $13 million guaranteed the triumph two years. So far, Westbrook hasn't earned it.

"Unfortunately, I had a yoke injuries here and there," he said. "I'm irritating to get in full thriving and vexing to relief this yoke as much as possible. It's a no piece different because Don (quarterback ) was torment a little bit wear year, so we ran the ball a doll-sized bit more. As a team, we have to be able to extend the ball.

We still have to be able to seat the run throughout the course of a game. When we have it established, we have to be able to bidding upon it and effectively use it. We haven't been able to do that.

" Westbrook has been bothered by ankle and rib injuries that false him to want 2½ games, though he had 167 yards rushing against Atlanta upon returning. Overall, Westbrook has trip for 448 yards and has 29 catches for 207 yards. He's move behind rookie widespread receiver DeSean Jackson in total number yards.

"I'm still not rather 100 percent, but I'm sense of foreboding better than I was matrix week," he said. Under instruct Andy Reid, the Eagles (5-4) have always been a pass-first team. Westbrook always wanted more carries and got them most recent year. Only 30.8 percent of the team's plays (175 of 567) this mature have been carries by the race backs.

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