I emailed TE regarding the measurement problems I was having. They were very nice and responded very quickly.

I was told that the measurements are done on a medium size pair of shorts. And they are measured from the center seam, unstretched. She also told me if you purchase a short that is larger than a medium, chances are, because it is a larger size it will be 1 to 2 inches longer than the posted measurement.

So the mystery is solved. Thanks for everyone's help.