The Wired article from 2001 about "Searching for Google's Successor" gave me a chuckle.

"A new generation of scrappy search engines is emerging to challenge the dominance of mighty Google."

That idea has only recently seemed to fall out of favor, and not because Google's reach has waned, but rather because people seem to have tired waiting for the "next Google". :D

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2001/08/45905