FLOWERY BRANCH - Steve Bartkowski understands the pressure that accompanies high expectations. <br>
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The former star quarterback, who played 11 years in Atlanta before retiring in 1986, vividly remembers the buzz that surrounded the Falcons following playoffs appearances in 1978, 1980 and '82. He agrees the excitement is back after last year's club became the first visiting team ever to win a postseason game at Green Bay. <br>
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``This has always been a football town,'' Bartkowski said Thursday. ``We've seen those of us who have been around this town a long time we know the enthusiasm that can be manifested from the fans and so on and so forth when the football team's got it going on.'' <br>
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When Arthur Blank bought the Falcons 18 months ago, Bartkowski, now an executive with DPR Construction in Atlanta, returned to the team for the first time since his release in November 1985. He's the only former player on a voluntary board of directors that includes Joe Gibbs, Andrew Young and Billy Payne. <br>
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The 2003 season marks just the second time in franchise history and the first since 1981 that the Falcons are sold out of season tickets. Bartkowski was one seven Atlanta players that were named to the NFC Pro Bowl squad that year, but the '81 season ended sourly. <br>
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Eight months after suffering a bitter 30-27 playoff loss to a Dallas team that included Cowboys offensive coordinator Dan Reeves, the Falcons got off to a 3-0 start in '81, but finished 4-9 and lost their last three by an average of 2.7 points. <br>
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The 50-year-old Bartkowski, at team headquarters Thursday to sign autographs with former Atlanta stars Tommy Nobis, Jeff Van Note, Mike Kenn and Jessie Tuggle, believes 2003 will mark the first time the 38-year franchise has had consecutive winning records. <br>
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He calls himself a ``huge fan'' of Michael Vick, who joined Bartkowski two years ago as the only quarterbacks Atlanta drafted with the No. 1 overall pick. <br>
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``Clearly, that whole thing turned around when Arthur bought the team,'' said Bartkowski, who owns most of the Falcons' significant passing records. ``I think he's got a clean sense of understanding the genealogy, if you will. I kind of was playing during the time he was building his company here, Home Depot, so to be asked to re-engage has just been awesome. There's nothing I can really describe to you. It's been so much fun.'' <br>
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Reeves, Atlanta's head coach since 1997, embraces the expectations that follow his team. <br>
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``We haven't had back-to-back winning seasons in franchise history and we thought we had that locked up in the 1998 season, thinking 1999 was going to be a piece of cake, and it wasn't,'' Reeves said. ``Our division has the world champions in it and has two good football teams outside the Buccaneers in New Orleans and Carolina. We've got our work cut out for us every game.''<br>
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Notes: Right tackle Todd Weiner attended the 90-minute workout Thursday, but didn't participate in the non-contact sessions because of a virus. ... Starting nose tackle Ed Jasper, who missed the month-long passing camp that ended June 27, returned to practice for the first time since undergoing offseason surgery to repair a herniated disc in his lower back. ... Travis Hall, who underwent abdominal surgery, also made his debut. ... With rookie cornerback Bryan Scott agreeing to contract terms, only fullback Justin Griffith, a fourth-round pick, is unsigned.
