Not only is there the generalization in the relatively easy thing like faces, but also in terms of behaviour. When I think of black people, I think of the type that walks around in Harlem or whatever hoods you have, popping caps, representing that hood, and walking with their trousers down their pants. That's one large subgroup often associated with a certain racial group (and taken over by white people, which just doesn't look the same).
There's loads more similar subcultures, often (but not always) associated with skin color and other physical attributes. Large, loud, butch and black is another set of distinct features, which appears in both Barrett and Mr. T and a whole lot of large black people in one way or another.
Generalizing / abstractizing people into certain groups and, as such, similarities is a natural process in humans - it's an efficient storage mechanism, which limits the amount of storage required to store information about a certain person. Same with faces, same with behaviour, same with subcultures, etcetera.
All Dutch are cheap, all Americans are fat, all Russians drink vodka like there's no tomorrow (which there isn't above the polar circle btw), Belgians are dumb, Germans eat bratwurst and beer, Japs are nuts, Ozzies only eat kangaroomeat off the barbie, and Barrett looks and acts like Mr. T minus the infomercials.
Thar.
It's in his best interest to try to avert that, even when its not his design intention. They did not admit they made him look like Mr. T, that he looks like Mr. T, or that that A-Team character was the inspiration. They admitted that the comparison had been stated and thus they tried to further Barret away from it. All they did was speak the truth.
