why is that in poor taste? i'm confused by your apparent "being offended" by that somehow.
is it because:
country implies southern - don't care we are southern
country implies some grouping or identity like "aggie nation" - again don't care
country implies an association with farmers, simple folk, rednecks, backwoods, hillibillies, or some racial connotation?
if it's the latter i think you are associating it wrong. i would interpret either of the first two definitions which are fairly innocuous before the latter.