First came the news that NBC and News Corp were joining forces to create a video distribution service with a host of big-name Internet partners like AOL, Microsoft, Yahoo, and MySpace. Now, according to Search Engine Land, CBS is close to announcing similar partnerships with AOL, Microsoft, and potentially NBC. Barry Schwartz asks a good question in his write-up at SEL:

Where is Google in the picture?

What we've got here are some of the biggest names in content, publishing, media, and audience in the world… banding together. And, as Schwartz asks, who is being left out? That's right. Mr. Advertising (Google).

Could we be seeing the beginning of a major backlash against Google and its heavy-handed, arrogant posturing in the advertising community?

NBC has been in the business of producing content and working with advertisers since before anyone at the Googleplex was even born. And save for MySpace, every one of the companies listed above have been at this game longer than Google. So when Mountain View swept in several years ago and starting trying to run the show, it's not surprising that some of these companies were irritated.

Google's success is undeniable. But when you're the new, rich-kid in the neighborhood, and you start throwing your weight around right off the bat, the other kids are going to start resenting you. And before you know what happens, you're on the outside of a much bigger group.

Do you think Google is starting to become that isolated rich bully?

We've already mentioned the NBC/News Corp deal and CBS' up-coming announcement. What else have I missed? Oh yes! When Google tried to control the reigns in negotiations with Viacom, the media powerhouse pulled its content from Google-owned YouTube… and signed a deal with Joost, instead. And after filing a law suit against Google, Viacom recently announced a massive advertising deal with Yahoo.

So what does all of this mean for Google?

Possibly nothing. But it's hard to deny that more than a handful of the big names in content distribution have recently turned their backs on the company that wants to control all advertising. Now to be fair, CBS does have a distribution deal with YouTube. But it now appears that CBS is smartly distributing its content in a number of venues.

I could be reading more into this than there really is. But you have to admit that it's more than possible that these content distributors are starting to get fed up with the Google approach to advertising and dealing with other companies. Maybe Google has become too big for its own britches. Maybe they started throwing their weight around too soon.

Or maybe I'm just crazy.

If I've missed something here, please let me know.