These are lounge pants.

In my book, they are pants. Just like sweat pants, only more stylish and not as expensive.

I spent many years as an athlete living in shorts and sweats. This is my comfort zone even though I look more like the dinner table is my comfort zone.

The added benefit to wearing these is the humor of it. No self respecting newspaper person would wear these in public because no one would take them seriously. I'm just Your Average Joe, so it's kinda funny.

The reality of it all is that the material in jeans gets bunched up behind my knees and either limits me or digs into my skin. Since I spend a lot of time kneeling for sports and images (sometimes in prayer...) the soft cotton of lounge pants works better for me. If it's winter and only 2 degrees out.... I will wear jeans. I'm not THAT dumb.