B737-200 CAPT GETS INVOLVED WITH CHALLENGING A80 APCH OVER A SEQUENCING ISSUE AND OVERSHOOTS HIS ASSIGNED ALT.

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WE WERE WITH ATL APCH AND ON A L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8L. ATL ALWAYS KEEPS YOU VERY HIGH ON DOWNWIND FOR VISUAL APCHS; AFTER BEING TOLD MAX FORWARD SPD UP TO THAT POINT. SO YOU TYPICALLY END UP HIGH AND FAST; AND THEN THEY TRY AND 'DROP YOU IN.' WE WERE AT 12000 FT AND 250 KIAS ON DOWNWIND (AS ASSIGNED) WITHIN 5 NM FROM THE ARPT. WE GOT THE USUAL CLRNCS. APCH CTL NOW NEEDED US TO DSND FAST AND SLOW DOWN -- SOMETHING VERY DIFFICULT TO DO IN A B737-200. I KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN SO I WAS SOMEWHAT PREPARED; BUT THEY WERE TRYING TO TURN US ON A 5 MI FINAL AT APPROX 5500 FT. I WAS VERY TIRED. WE HAD WAITED OVER 5 HRS FOR OUR PAX AND WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SHORT DAY; WAS NOW TURNING INTO AN ALL-NIGHTER. I TOLD THE FO TO RELAY TO APCH CTL THAT WE WERE TOO TIGHT INTO RWY 8L. WE WERE ASSIGNED A 120 DEG HDG AND DSND TO 4500 FT; BUT ALSO THE CTLR COMPLAINED THAT WE NEEDED TO DSND FAST AND SLOW DOWN. WE WERE AT 200 KIAS AND DOING OUR BEST TO SLOW AND GO DOWN. I BECAME FRUSTRATED AND STARTED TALKING ON THE RADIO AND FLYING AT THE SAME TIME. A BIG MISTAKE. I TOLD THE CTLR WE WERE DOING OUR BEST AND TO 'GIVE US A BREAK.' I WAS ENTIRELY FOCUSED ON GETTING DOWN AND SLOWING DOWN TO MAKE THE RWY AND NOT GET TOO CLOSE TO THE ACFT IN FRONT OF US. I THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED FOR A VISUAL AND I DSNDED THROUGH THE 4500 FT WE HAD BEEN ASSIGNED. AT AROUND 3800 FT; THE CTLR INQUIRED ABOUT OUR ALT; WANTING TO KNOW IF WE WERE AT 4500 FT. I TOLD THE CTLR THAT I THOUGHT WE WERE CLRED FOR THE VISUAL. HE SAID 'NO;' BUT THEN CLRED US FOR THE VISUAL APCH TO RWY 8L. THIS DEV WAS CAUSED BY SEVERAL FACTORS: 1) MY FATIGUE (PART 91 HAS NO FLT/DUTY REQUIREMENTS); 2) MY POOR DECISION TO TRY AND FLY THE ACFT AND TALK ON THE RADIO; 3) TRYING TO SALVAGE A POOR APCH; 4) ATL APCH USING THIS SYS OF HIGH ALT AND AIRSPD INTO THE PATTERN FOLLOWED BY MASSIVE ALT AND AIRSPD REDUCTIONS IN ORDER TO BE IN POS FOR LNDG. AFTER BEING CLRED FOR THE VISUAL; WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE A NORMAL LNDG.