FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – When John Malone gives directions to his home, he never has to include his house number.

Malone simply tells them it’s on Main Street in Foxborough. That’s usually more than enough information.

“We had a TV crew come by from Indianapolis earlier today,” Malone said. “They called to make sure we were here and then asked how to find the place. I gave them directions and then they asked what the house number was. I just laughed and said, ‘Don’t worry. You’ll find it.’ It’s pretty hard to miss.”

That it is. But then, when your front yard features a goal post 15 feet tall flanked by two 6-foot inflatable football players sporting New England Patriots uniforms, a 3-by-5-foot Patriots banner and a 3-foot football (that used to be a child’s toy box) suspended by rope above the goal post, it makes for quite an eye-catching scene.

Welcome to the Malone residence, which appears to be the closest thing to Patriots Central outside Gillette Stadium, which just happens to be only a few Hail Mary passes away from his front door.

The Patriots made their 38-year-old superfan a happy man Sunday when they defeated the Indianapolis Colts to win the AFC title 24-14.

Malone said the transformation of his home “just seemed like a good thing to do.”

“I did it last month after I put away the Christmas stuff. It took me about a day to do it,” Malone said. “I add something to it every time they win.”

Malone is trying to decide what to add to the scene, which also includes lights, plastic helmets and jerseys. Even all his front windows have been painted in red and blue, sporting phrases such as “Go Pats, We Love the Pats,” and “Win win.” He’s leaning toward a replica of the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl trophy made out of aluminum foil.

“My theory is to go with your imagination, throw everything out and see what sticks,” Malone said about his inspiration. “People probably think it’s extreme, but I never, ever thought it would get this much attention.”

Through Saturday, it had received the attention of five television stations and three newspapers, not to mention numerous passers-by.

“A lot of people will stop,” said Sharon Malone, John’s wife. “We get honks all the time as people go by, and some people get out and take pictures.”

And the neighbors?

“I think they like it. They don’t mind, but I know they think we’re insane,” said 10-year-old daughter Kayla, who says she’s been a Patriots fan all of her life and calls linebacker Tedy Bruschi her favorite player.

Parking beside the park

Kayla and 7-year-old brother Ben are big fans of both the Patriots and Boston Red Sox. Good thing, because the Patriots scene out front makes up only half of the sports-inspired outdoor landscaping of the Malone’s 11/2-acre lot. There’s also a scaled-down version of Fenway Park, dubbed “Malone Park,” to the right of the driveway, which includes a Green Monster wall complete with a painted scoreboard, skyscraper replicas behind the wall, a Citgo sign, a miniature “giant” Coke bottle, a warning track, and even a Goodyear blimp hanging from a rope strung over the field of play.

“I want to put in a baseline this summer so my brother-in-law can’t catch all my foul balls,” Malone said with a chuckle.

Malone built his “park” – where his family plays whiffle ball regularly every Monday afternoon when the weather cooperates – in three days. It’s been around for two years now, but the Patriots scene is new. Both are equally attention-grabbing.

“My 15 minutes of fame should have been over a while ago, but I know it’ll go back to normal eventually,” said Malone, who owns his own cleaning business. “I’m not about to let it go to my head. I mean, right now I have to go back to cleaning toilets. That has a way of keeping you grounded.”

Passion and pain

Malone can be a bit – oh, how can it be put politely? – intense when it comes to following and supporting his favorite teams. Then again, he’s fairly intense about everything he does.

“We usually decorate the yard for Halloween and Christmas. We had a big Frankenstein for Halloween and some giant candy canes for Christmas,” said Sharon Malone. “I just let him do it. He does a lot for the family, so I just let him go and just put my head down while I’m driving into the yard.”

Malone says her husband actually has mellowed noticeably the last couple years.

“Since they won the Super Bowl, he’s been fine,” she said. “He’s not as intense about it anymore, but now we’re waiting for the Red Sox to win it all.”

Things came to a head, literally, last September and October when John Malone began experiencing severe headaches. They were so bad, he saw a doctor about them.

“He [the doctor] actually thinks the pressure I was feeling during games was one of the main things that was making me sick,” said Malone, who must have had one whopper of a migraine after watching Game 7 of the American League Championship between the Red Sox and Yankees.

“He just told me I should take it easy more, work less and get more sleep, but yeah, he said my intensity as a fan was a factor, too,” explained Malone. His home office – dubbed the “New England Sports Museum” – is plastered with posters and programs and full of bobblehead dolls, goalie masks and football helmets, which are all crammed on several shelves.

Malone even has a miniature flexible plastic replica of the Fenway Green Monster curved in a corner between two walls above his computer monitor. It’s something his wife picked up from a sub-shop owner who knew about her husband’s “addiction.”

Ironically, as passionate as the Malone family is about the Patriots, they’ve never attended a regular-season or playoff game at Gillette.

“We’re waiting to get season tickets,” said Kayla Malone. “I’ve never been to a game, but we did get to go see Bon Jovi there.”

“We’ve been to a practice, and we got tickets to go to a [New England] Revolution game once, and I’ve been to Foxboro Stadium, but not this one yet,” said Sharon Malone. “One of these days, maybe.”

But only under certain conditions.

“I wouldn’t go anyway, unless the kids could go, too,” Malone said. “They’re just as big a fans as I am.”

Now that’s saying something.